Page 23 - NIS - English, 01-15 January 2023
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Development and Legacy Cover Story
SEAMLESS CONNECTIVITY TO PILGRIMAGE SITES
EITHER BY AIRPLANE OR BY ROPEWAY, THE JOURNEY IS EASY
DEOGHAR: AIR CONNECTIVITY UTTARAKHAND: HEMKUND
TILL BABA BAIDYANATH DHAM SAHIB ROPEWAY
n When steps are taken to make lives of ordinary n On October 18, Prime Minister Narendra
citizens easier, national wealth is created, and Modi laid the foundation stone of the new
new opportunities for national development ropeway project connecting Govindghat to
emerge. On 12 July 2022, Prime Minister Hemkund Sahib. This ropeway will be about
Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the 12.4 kilometres long and will reduce the travel
foundation stone for development projects time from over a day to just 45 minutes. With
worth more than Rs 16,800 crore in Deoghar. this ropeway, there will be no problem walking
on the difficult paths of Hemkund Sahib. This
n Deoghar Airport was opened to provide direct ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is
air access to Baba Baidyanath Dham. the gateway to the Valley of Flowers National
Park.
n The projects will help develop infrastructure n It will be an eco-friendly mode of transport that
and increase connectivity, thereby helping the will make commuting safe. Religious tourism
visitors. will get a boost due to this ropeway, which will
speed up economic development in the region.
n The projects to be inaugurated include the GIRNAR ROPEWAY: MAKING LIFE EASY
construction of two large Tirth Mandali
buildings with a capacity of 2,000 pilgrims n Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
and the development of the Sivaganga pond. ropeway at Girnar on October 24, 2020. Initially, it
The new facilities will benefit thousands of was fitted with 25–30 cabins with a capacity to
devotees who visit Baba Baidyanath Dham. carry eight people.
n This ropeway has the capacity to cover a distance
n Under the PRASHAD scheme, modern facilities of 2.3 kilometres in just 7.5 minutes. The swift
have been expanded in Baba Baidyanath implementation of the Girnar Ropeway has
Dham. changed the lives of the local people. More than
two lakh people used it in the first month alone.
New India Samachar January 1-15, 2023 21
