Junagarh (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Asia's biggest ropeway project in Gujarat's Junagarh on October 24.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani from Junagadh and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel from Ahmedabad will also take part in this inaugural meeting.
Girnar ropeway is PM Narendra Modi’s dream project of which he had laid the foundation while he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
According to officials, the 2.3km ropeway work is ready for inauguration on October 24. Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the ropeway through video conferencing.
Up to 800 riders per hour can be transported. The project was conceived two decades ago but recently it has been completed at a cost of Rs 130 crores. People can complete the journey by the ropeway in just eight minutes by covering a distance of about 2.13 kilometres, officials said.
"Eight passengers can accommodate in the 25 carriages, while each trip will be completed with 800 people in one hour. The ropeway will connect Bhavnath Taleti with Ambaji temple in less than 10 minutes, while now pilgrims climb five thousand steps to reach Ambaji temple. A tourist can now complete his mount Girnar pilgrimage in nearly two hours. Travel fare in ropeway is Rs. 700 is expected to be kept, but the final decision on fares will be made by the tourism department," an official said.
"The project was projected to open in May 2020 but was further delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Trial runs were carried out in September 2020 and the construction was completed on 17 October 2020 and finally, the project will be inaugurated on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the official added.
ALSO READ: PM Modi releases commemorative coin to mark FAO's 75th anniversary
