Dhami lays foundation stone for Rishikesh rafting base station
Dehradun: Chief minister
Pushkar Singh Dhami
on Friday laid the foundation stone for the
Rishikesh rafting base station
, the centrepiece of the first phase of the
Ganga Corridor project
. The base station, to be built between Shivpuri and Muni Ki Reti at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore with central govt assistance, is expected to be completed within two years.
Dhami said the project will generate local employment and move Rishikesh closer towards its goal to be a global hub for river rafting. "The facility will include a passenger station and a riverside boardwalk, along with real-time monitoring of rafting routes, CCTV cameras, SOS alarms, and emergency assistance booths to ensure safety of tourists," he said.
The CM also laid the foundation for a multi-level parking and office complex on Rishikesh Nagar Nigam land, to be constructed by Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) at an estimated cost of Rs 136 crore. Spread over 10,441 sq m, the facility will accommodate 1,038 vehicles and house offices for Nagar Nigam Rishikesh, the water board, and Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL), and it will be equipped with fire-safety systems, modern CCTV, access control, rainwater harvesting, solar lighting, lifts, and green spaces. "The new 1,000-vehicle multi-level parking will ease chronic traffic jams during the Char Dham yatra and simplify public access to services," Dhami said.
Dhami also dedicated various development works worth Rs 1.51 crore undertaken by Nagar Nigam. He distributed medical kits to environment volunteers and handed out "traveller-friend" kits, and inaugurated a hydro-gel waterless toilet.
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