Mana (Uttarakhand): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than ₹3400 crore in Mana, Uttarakhand.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi, while recalling his earlier visit, said that he had full faith that Baba Kedar and Badri Vishal would bless the state. “Today, I am here among you to reiterate the same resolve with these new projects”, he said.
Noting that Mana village is known as the last village at India’s borders, the Prime Minister said, “For me, every village at the border is the first village of the country and the people residing near the border make for the country’s strong guard. He recalled his long association with the area and his continuous espousal of its importance. He also noted their support and confidence and thanked the people of Mana for their continuous love and support.
Mentioning the two ropeways Kedarnath to Gaurikund and Hemkund ropeway, Modi credited the inspiration and progress to the blessings of Baba Kedarnath, Badri Vishal and Sikh Gurus. He said devotees all over the world will rejoice in this unprecedented initiative.
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Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Kedarnath and performed darshan and pooja at Shri Kedarnath Temple. He also visited the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal and reviewed the work in progress along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath. He later visited Badrinath and performed darshan and pooja at Shri Badrinath Temple. He then reviewed the work in progress along the Alaknanda riverfront.
The Prime Minister further said, “Rail, roads, and ropeways bring employment with them and make life easy and empowered. These facilities enhance tourism and make transportation easy in the hilly area. Drones are also being planned to be deployed to improve logistics in these difficult areas”, he added.
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Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Governor Retd. Gen Gurmit Singh, former CM Tirath Singh Rawat and Uttarakhand minister Dhan Singh Rawat were also present.
Ropeways
The ropeway in Kedarnath will be around 9.70 km in length and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, thereby reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present to merely 30 mins. The Hemkund ropeway will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 Km in length and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 mins. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park.
Ropeway projects to cost ₹2,430-Cr
Developed at a cumulative cost of around Rs 2430 crore, the ropeways will be an environment-friendly mode of transport making the journey safe, secure and stable. This major infrastructure development will give a boost to religious tourism, thereby providing a fillip to the economic development in the region and leading to the creation of multiple employment opportunities.
Road strengthening projects launched
The foundation stones of road widening projects worth around ₹1000 crore has also be laid during the visit. The two road widening projects – from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) – shall be another step towards providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas. Apart from boosting connectivity, these projects will also prove beneficial from a strategic point of view as well.
Religious importance of Kedarnath & Badrinath
Kedarnath and Badrinath are one of the most important Hindu shrines. The area is also known for one of the revered Sikh Pilgrim sites – Hemkund Sahib. The connectivity projects being undertaken show the Prime Minister’s commitment to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance.
