Synopsis: Yamunotri Ropeway Project has been in government files since 2006 even after villagers gave up their 1.5 hectares of land to the tourism department. This ropeway will not only reduce travel time but also reduce calamities that happen especially to elderly people during the tough trek of 5 km.
According to the latest news coming from Yamunotri dham, the Ministry of the Environment and Forests (MoEF) has finally passed the Yamunotri Ropeway Project, which is going to be built on 3.8 hectares of land. The ropeway's total length will be 3.7 kilometers (aerial distance), and the project has been on hold since 2006.
Priests and pilgrims have to complete a tough trek of 5 km to reach the Yamunotri shrine from Jankichatti village. Once the project work is completed, this time will be reduced to 5 minutes as pilgrims will be able to board the ropeway from Kharsali village to reach the shrine.
About Yamunotri Dham:
Yamunotri is a popular Hindu pilgrimage site located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the four holy places in Uttarakhand that are called Chota Char Dham as a group.
The temple is built 3,293 meters above sea level and is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna. The temple is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and hot springs. The only way to get to the temple is on foot, and visitors must trek about 6 kilometers from Janki Chatti to get there.
Yamunotri Ropeway project:
According to news reports, the ambitious project will use up about 3.8 hectares of land. For everyone to be able to visit the temple, a 3.7-kilometer-long ropeway will be built from Kharsali village to the shrine. The fact that the ropeway will cut travel time from five hours down to only ten minutes is the most exciting aspect of this project.
A social activist said that the tourism department received 1.5 hectares of land from Kharsali hamlet residents in 2006 to build a ropeway. Despite this, the project had been dormant in government files for over 16 years.
He continued by saying that priests and pilgrims have to walk 5 km from Jankichatti to the shrine. This is the main reason for calamities in the region, as people who aren't used to high altitudes, the elderly, and others who have health problems lost their lives while trekking to the shrine. The ropeway will also save lives, cut down on travel times, and bring in more tourists.
District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey says that the construction will most likely begin this summer and be completed within the next two years.