The central government made a major decision regarding the Char Dham Yatra on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet approved the proposals for the Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib ropeways. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the Cabinet’s decisions, stating that under the National Ropeway Development Program, the government has approved the construction of a 12.9 km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath and a 12.4 km ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand.

Ashwini Vaishnaw further stated that a total of ₹6,811 crore will be spent on these two projects. The Sonprayag to Kedarnath ropeway project alone will cost ₹4,081.28 crore. The construction timeline for both ambitious projects is estimated to be between 4 to 6 years. The decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) were announced by the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

The 12.9 km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath will be built under the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model. The project will be developed under a public-private partnership. It will be based on the advanced tri-cable detachable gondola (3S) technology. This ropeway will have a capacity to transport 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction, allowing approximately 18,000 travelers to commute daily.

Similarly, the ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib will also be developed under the DBFOT model, with a total cost of ₹2,730.13 crore. Currently, the journey to Hemkund Sahib from Govindghat involves a challenging 21 km trek, which is completed on foot, by mule, or via palanquins. The ropeway project will ensure better all-weather connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving these ropeway projects under the Parvatmala scheme. He stated that these projects will significantly improve connectivity for pilgrims and tourists, making the Char Dham Yatra more convenient. The travel time will be reduced, providing great relief to devotees.