Summary:
This is one of the two tunnels to be constructed under the ambitious Rs 11,700 All-Weather Road project, considered a pet scheme of PM Modi. These include the 140-km Rishikesh-Rudraprayag road which has a budget of Rs 2,166 crore, the 160-km Rudraprayag-Mana road which will cost Rs 1,542 crore, the 144-km Rishikesh-Dharsu road which is worth Rs 1,627 crore and the 124-km Dharsu-Gangotri road with an estimated expenditure of Rs 2,079 crore among others. DEHRADUN: The Centre’s nod for a tunnel on the Char Dham Yatra route that would cut travel time by almost an hour and also improve accessibility to an area that often gets snowbound and cut off has been welcomed by residents and stakeholders. A total of 534 hectare land is to be acquired for the ambitious project. “Since the tunnel is proposed in the ecologically fragile zone of the Himalayas, its construction should be carried out keeping in mind geological and environmental aspects of the area..