Uttarakhand's Longest Ropeway | 17 Aug 2022

Why In News?

• On August 16, 2022, Project Manager of Rail Vikas Nigam K. Omprakash Malgudi informed that Rail Vikas Nigam, engaged in the construction of Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project, has covered 50 km. A long tunnel has been prepared. Total 125 km. 105 km of long track. The part will be inside the tunnels.

Key Points

• 13 kms to Kedarnath. National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) has been entrusted with the responsibility of construction of the long ropeway to a company under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• He said that the site-specific spectrum study has been prepared by the experts of IIT Roorkee to deal with any disaster like earthquake, flood and fire. It has been tested by reputed experts from abroad.
• For the construction of the ropeway, 11 hectares of land has been acquired from Sonprayag to Kedarnath. The layout of the design of the ropeway to be built with the help of 22 towers has also been prepared by the executive body.
• After permission from the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Central Government, Dehradun, a DPR of Rs 945 crore will be sent by the executing agency for the construction of the ropeway. The work of construction of Sonprayag-Kedarnath ropeway will be started from March 2023.
• On the Sonprayag-Kedarnath ropeway, four stations will come up at Gaurikund, Chirbasa, Lincholi and Kedarnath. Two to two and a half thousand passengers will be able to go unilaterally at a time from the ropeway. 13 km from the ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath. The distance will be completed in about 30 to 35 minutes.
• It is noteworthy that in the year 2005, Rambada-Kedarnath ropeway was approved. Then the Uttaranchal Infrastructure Development Company had completed other formalities including land survey. A proposal of Rs 70 crore was sent to the government. At the government level, it was decided to get the ropeway construction done in PPP mode, but no company submitted the tender.