Work has intensified on the plan to connect Chardham Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath temples with ropeway. For this, the Railway Development Corporation (RVNL) has prepared the plan and soon the team of experts will start the preliminary survey.

RVNL has also completed the demarcation of the land along with the survey to connect Chardham with the rail line. According to the plan, a ropeway will be constructed from the terminal rail station of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham to the temple. Along with this, studies will be done on other means including cable car. According to the Railway Development Corporation, Chardham is to be connected with the railway line, for which pillars have been established by surveying and demarcating the land.

But, the last railway station is 15 to 20 km before the temples. In such a situation, a ropeway has to be constructed for Badrinath Dham from Joshimath, from Sonprayag to Kedarnath, from Maneri to Gangotri and from Barkot-Nandgaon to Yamunotri. The length of these proposed ropeways can range from five to ten km. To bring this plan on the ground, the first phase of talks with the top officials of RVNL with experts related to rail construction and ropeway construction has also been held.

Ropeway hanging in limbo for 16 years

In the year 2005, a three and a half km long ropeway was approved up to Rambara-Kedarnath. The Uttaranchal Infrastructure Development Company (UDEC) conducted a survey for the construction of the ropeway and conducted a feasibility test of the area. Then, a proposal of 70 crores for the construction of ropeway was prepared and sent to the government.

The government had talked about getting this work done in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, under which tenders were also invited in the year 2009. But no company took the initiative.

Even after the disaster, ropeway construction has been announced thrice at the state level. Along with this, the proposal of ropeway has also been sought from the administration by the Union Tourism Secretary. But the matter has not progressed beyond the survey.

To make the journey of Chardham accessible and safe, survey and demarcation have been done for the construction of railway line. Along with this, there is a plan to connect the temples of Chardham with ropeway. Ropeway is to be built from the terminal station to the temples, for this, necessary formalities will be completed by conducting survey at the initial level soon.