Uttar Pradesh speeds up work on Ram Idol, Airport

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government has fast-tracked a clutch of projects in Ayodhya – a Sri Ram airport, for which Rs 600 crore has been released; the world’s tallest statue of Lord Ram, for which three sites have been shortlisted and an agreement is set to be signed with the Gujarat government for technical expertise; a Sita Lake; and a new channel being created to ensure continuous flow of Saryu river at Ram Ki Pairi ghat.
With the Supreme Court deciding to hear the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit on each working day, raising the prospects of a judgement on the decades-old dispute before the retirement of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in November, the Yogi Adityanath government is leaving no stone unturned to deliver key projects in Ayodhya.

Last week, the UP government released Rs 400 crore for the proposed airport, taking the total allocation to Rs 600 crore for the project which involves upgrading of the existing 1.5 km long airstrip and constructing a terminal building. “Land in three villages will be acquired for the airport project and we are proceeding after getting the money,” Ayodhya’s district magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha told ET.

Besides, three sites have been shortlisted in Ayodhya for the world’s tallest, 251-metre statue of Lord Ram near the Saryu river. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited these sites during his visit to Ayodhya earlier this month. Detailed studies of the soil strength and wind speed at the site have been commissioned to identify the most appropriate site where the statue can be built and installed. The government will acquire nearly 100 acres of land for the project and sign a memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat government for technical expertise based on the experience that went into building the 183-meter tall Sardar Patel statue in Gujarat.

The state government has also earmarked area for a man-made Sita Lake to come up in Ayodhya and a detailed project report has been submitted to the state environment ministry.

Jha said that at Ram Ki Pairi ghat in Ayodhya, the river channel is being “re-modelled so that continuous Saryu river flow is made available” and that the work will be complete by this October. “The Parikrama Marg of Ayodhya has also been refurbished with toilets, drinking water facilities and proper roads,” he said, sharing details of rejuvenation of streets of Ayodhya, a solar street-lighting project and new ghats being constructed along the Saryu on the lines of the Ganga in Varanasi.

The state government has cited increase in religious tourism in Ayodhya for fast-tracking the projects. Last year, tourists visiting Ayodhya increased to more than 19.2 million, up from 17.5 million in 2017.