Ropeway at Yamunotri Dham : The Uttarakhand government has signed a contract to build a 3.38-kilometer ropeway connecting Janki Chatti in Kharsali with Yamunotri Dham. To be built at a cost of Rs 166.82 crore, the ropeway will cut down the travel time from the current 2-3 hours to just 20 minutes. At present pilgrims have to trek for 5.5 km to reach Yamunotri Dham from Kharsali. In the presence of Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board signed a contract with two private construction companies, SRM Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and FIL Industries Pvt. Ltd.
February 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
Specification of the ropeway
- The ropeway from Kharsali village to Yamunotri Temple in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand is being built under public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
- The ropeway, which will be built at an altitude of 10,797 feet, will be 3.38 km long (aerial distance) and will cost Rs 166.82 crore to build.
- Around 1.78-hectare land has been identified for the lower terminal of the ropeway at Kharsali while for the upper terminal, 0.99 hectare land has been identified near Yamunotri Temple.
- Based on Mono-Cable Detachable Gondola system technology, the ropeway will have a design capacity of minimum 500 PPHPD (person per hour per direction).
Necessity For Ropeway
Yamunotri is one of the four most revered Hindu pilgrimages in the Himalayas, along with Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The small mountain hamlet, with the Yamunotri Temple at its centre, attracts thousands of devotees every year and is the commencing point of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage (May to October), which proceeds from Yamunotri to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Lodged in a narrow gorge, close to the source of the Yamuna, the Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to Yamuna, the second-most sacred river after the Ganges. Devotees either walk or ride a palanquin or a pony to reach the temple (around 3,233 m above sea level) from Kharsali in Janki Chatti, a steep trek of about 3 km that takes about 3 hours.
Apart from providing a scenic aerial view of the stunning landscape dotted with icy peaks, glaciers, and hot springs, the ropeway project will reduce travel time to just 15-20 minutes. The ropeway will not just reduce the distance to the Himalayan temple but also save pilgrims, especially the elderly, from undertaking the arduous trek to reach it.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
Uttarakhand Governor: Gurmit Singh;
Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami;
Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer).