Work on the third track at Vaishno devi to start soon
Tahir Mushtaq
JAMMU, Feb 15: To ease pressure on existing two routes to reach Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, the Shrine board has decided to build new 7 km track from Ban Ganga. The new route will be built at the cost of one crore.
According to the officials, the new track will be specially used for animal transportation and delivery of essential commodities which at present use the tracks used by pilgrims to reach the Shrine.
The new track will start from Banganga through Tarakot Mountains to Himkot and will meet the existing track at Ardhkumari. “The survey has been completed and the work has started on the project and it is expected to be completed till next year. Most of the animal transport will be diverted towards it”, said Mandeep Bhandari, Additional Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shrine Board.
It is pertinent to mention here that with number of annual pilgrim to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi expected to reach one crore mark in coming years, the shrine board has made a new master plan to accommodate the rush and to revamp the present infrastructure which proving unable to deal with the pilgrim rush.
The new master plan includes construction of the new Bus Stand Katra and modernizing the existing one, completing the new Katra-Ban Ganga Road Project and Darshni Deodi to Balini Bridge road.
At present there is no separate mule track and it create problem for the people as they have to share the approach route to the Shrine with them.
Additional CEO said that number of new projects will be taken up in coming months keeping in view projected pilgrim in coming years. It is pertinent to mention here that Shrine received about 68 lakh pilgrims in 2008. In 2007, this figure was 74.17 lakh while in 2006, the yatra stood at 69.50 lakh.
Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi was just 13.95 lakh in 1986 when Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDB) had taken over management of the cave shrine. Since then, it has been going up barring slight decline in some years. Till 1998 there was only one track and in 2000 a new approach road was constructed by the Board.
It is pertinent to mention here that Board is also planning new helipads on 13 km track. The shrine, nestled in the Himalayas at a height of 5,200 foot above sea level, has been on the target list of terrorists.
Tahir Mushtaq
JAMMU, Feb 15: To ease pressure on existing two routes to reach Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, the Shrine board has decided to build new 7 km track from Ban Ganga. The new route will be built at the cost of one crore.
According to the officials, the new track will be specially used for animal transportation and delivery of essential commodities which at present use the tracks used by pilgrims to reach the Shrine.
The new track will start from Banganga through Tarakot Mountains to Himkot and will meet the existing track at Ardhkumari. “The survey has been completed and the work has started on the project and it is expected to be completed till next year. Most of the animal transport will be diverted towards it”, said Mandeep Bhandari, Additional Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shrine Board.
It is pertinent to mention here that with number of annual pilgrim to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi expected to reach one crore mark in coming years, the shrine board has made a new master plan to accommodate the rush and to revamp the present infrastructure which proving unable to deal with the pilgrim rush.
The new master plan includes construction of the new Bus Stand Katra and modernizing the existing one, completing the new Katra-Ban Ganga Road Project and Darshni Deodi to Balini Bridge road.
At present there is no separate mule track and it create problem for the people as they have to share the approach route to the Shrine with them.
Additional CEO said that number of new projects will be taken up in coming months keeping in view projected pilgrim in coming years. It is pertinent to mention here that Shrine received about 68 lakh pilgrims in 2008. In 2007, this figure was 74.17 lakh while in 2006, the yatra stood at 69.50 lakh.
Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi was just 13.95 lakh in 1986 when Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDB) had taken over management of the cave shrine. Since then, it has been going up barring slight decline in some years. Till 1998 there was only one track and in 2000 a new approach road was constructed by the Board.
It is pertinent to mention here that Board is also planning new helipads on 13 km track. The shrine, nestled in the Himalayas at a height of 5,200 foot above sea level, has been on the target list of terrorists.
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