9-Hour Trek To 36-Minute Ride: Adani Enterprises Gets Kedarnath Ropeway Project Contract

Billionaire Gautam Adani-led group's flagship firm has won a contract to build a nearly 13-km-long ropeway project connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath, the company said on Monday.

Sonprayag is the final point accessible by road for pilgrims heading to the Kedarnath Temple. The Union cabinet had in March this year approved the ropeway project, expected to cost about Rs 4,081 crore, to provide pilgrims with a faster, more comfortable and environmentally friendly mode of travel.

Spanning a total distance of 12.9 kilometres, the ropeway will connect Sonprayag to Kedarnath, a journey traditionally completed via a strenuous 16-km uphill trek or by other means like ponies, palanquins and helicopters.

"Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the flagship incubator of the Adani portfolio, has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML) for building the prestigious ropeway project connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath," the company said in a statement.

The project will be executed by AEL's Roads, Metro, Rail, and Water (RMRW) division.

"Once operational, the 12.9 km ropeway project will reduce travel time from an arduous 9-hour trek to just 36 minutes, making the pilgrimage far easier and safer. The ropeway will be able to carry 1,800 passengers per hour per direction, serving lakhs of pilgrims each year," it said.

Kedarnath witnesses around 20 lakh pilgrims annually, highlighting the importance of this project.

The ropeway is part of the National Ropeways Development Programme - Parvatmala Pariyojana. Developed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, the project will take six years to complete and AEL will operate it for 29 years after construction. Along with improving connectivity, the project is expected to create jobs and boost tourism in the region.

The ropeway may include advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology, capable of transporting 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction, with an overall daily capacity of 18,000 passengers.

"The Kedarnath ropeway is more than an engineering project - it is a bridge between devotion and modern infrastructure," said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group.

"By making this sacred journey safer, faster and more accessible, we honour the faith of millions while creating new opportunities for Uttarakhand's people through our partnership with NHLML and the Government of Uttarakhand. This prestigious project reflects our commitment to building infrastructure that not only serves the nation but also uplifts its people." The Kedarnath temple, located at an elevation of 3,583 meters in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlingas. It remains open for about six to seven months each year, attracting nearly 20 lakh pilgrims annually.

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