Uttarakhand News: State to Launch Iconic Ropeway Between Rishikesh and Neelkanth Temple, Check Completion Date

The famous ropeway between Rishikesh and Neelkanth Temple is going to open in Uttarakhand.

With the approval and soon-to-be-built opening of a major ropeway connecting Rishikesh to the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, the state government has taken a huge step towards improving pilgrimage and tourist access in the area.

The huge project, which is being run by the Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation, will go from Triveni Ghat near the Ganges to the holy Neelkanth temple, a distance of about 4.12 kilometres. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently reviewed the plan. It is now waiting for the National Board for Wildlife, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to give its final approval.

The project is thought to have started out as a ₹450-crore undertaking, but the cost is expected to go up because of inflation and more planning that has been done since the initial cabinet approval. The ropeway will go through wildlife habitats and hilly areas, so it needs a steel mono-cable detachable gondola system that can handle high pilgrim loads. This was a very important issue that the NTCA brought up during their field study.

This project is a part of Uttarakhand's larger Parvatmala program, which is a plan to build more than 200 multi-modal ropeways across India by 2030. The goal is to make it easier to move through mountain corridors so that both pilgrims and eco-tourists can use them.

Why is this important for both locals and tourists

Efficiency and ease of use: Visitors can now skip the long hikes and winding roads and take the ropeway instead, which claims to be faster and more scenic. The goal is for about 2,000 people to use it every hour during rush hours, which are 16 hours a day. This will make the roads less crowded.

Environmental Protection: Because of the area's wide range of plants and animals and the nature of the Ganga river, the environment is being closely examined. With the NTCA's approval, the project will follow rules for protecting wildlife.

Economic Growth: The PPP-based Design‑Build‑Finance‑Operate‑Transfer (DBFOT) plan will let private partners invest in, build, and run the ropeway for 30 years. This will create more jobs in the area, bring in more tourists, and bring in more money for the state in the long term.

More growth in the Rishikesh corridor

This ropeway is part of a larger plan to improve the area around Rishikesh, which also includes building a multi-story parking garage with a capacity of 1,038 cars for ₹136 crore.

A new river base station will be built as part of the Ganga Corridor Project.

The 126-km train link between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag is making progress and should be ready for use by late 2026.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stressed the government's promise to connect roads, trains, air, and ropeways to meet the needs of pilgrims and ease traffic in cities. He said that these projects would protect the environment while also helping people and the economy.