Guv for 50-year Master Plan for Vaishno Devi area

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 29

Governor NN Vohra, who is Chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, has stressed the need for preparing a 40-to-50-year Master Plan for the entire Vaishno Devi shrine area to have an adequately long-term perspective that determines the scale and capacity of infrastructural facilities which need to be provided to pilgrims.

The Governor, while chairing the 58th meeting of the board at India International Centre, New Delhi, on Thursday, observed that a well-planned approach in dealing with all aspects of the yatra had also become extremely important to preserve the environment and ensure protection against any kind of pollution.

According to an official spokesperson, the board took a number of decisions of far-reaching consequence for augmenting the facilities for the pilgrims to see that the progressively increasing number of pilgrims visiting the shrine were provided the best possible arrangements.

Presentations were made to the board by experts of two national institutions regarding the approaches which might be followed for preparing a comprehensive Master Plan for the entire shrine area from Banganga to Bhawan and along all the tracks.

Pointing to certain difficulties with regard to traffic flow which had arisen due to lack of a holistic approach in the past years, the Governor observed that the maximum possible use of modern technologies would need to be made for planning improved facilities for the pilgrims, with particular attention being devoted to issues relating to ensuring effective garbage collection and sanitary arrangements.

“Attention also requires to be devoted to the collection and treatment of mule dung and waste water, besides sewage treatment,” he said. He stressed the importance of ensuring effective maintenance of toilets and bathing facilities and continuing upgrade of existing amenities to meet the arising requirements of the pilgrimage.

The board had an extensive discussion with the team of experts of the School of Planning and Architecture regarding the areas requiring particular attention in the preparation of the Master Plan for the entire shrine area.

The board directed CEO Ajeet Kumar Sahu to take all required action to ensure collection of garbage and prepare a well-considered plan for management of solid and liquid waste, with particular regard to utilisation of green technologies to the maximum extent possible.

It reviewed the Rs 77-crore slope stabilisation project, which was being executed to protect, treat and stabilise 33 sites on the Trikuta mountains which had been identified as the most vulnerable from the point of view of landslides and stones falling on the tracks.

This project was being executed with the technical support of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation of India Limited to ensure protection against falling stones and landslides on the tracks which had been causing injuries and deaths of pilgrims in the past years and to enhance the safety and security of pilgrims.

The board approved the commencement of phase II of this project, which would involve slope stabilisation measures such as installation of rockfall barriers, high tensile steel wire mesh and consolidation grouting etc at an estimated cost of Rs 16.5 crore.

The board reviewed the implementation of the Rs 60 crore Bhawan-Bhairon Ghati passenger ropeway and Rs 12 crore Siar Dabri-Bhawan material ropeway projects, which were scheduled to be commissioned early next year.

After discussion, the CEO was directed to ensure timely completion of both ropeway projects and establish all required infrastructure facilities at Siar Dabri, Bhawan and Bhairon Ghati within the stipulated timeline.