Villagers Locked In Over Ropeway Project, Halt Construction in Protest – Threaten Court Action if Access Denied

More than two dozen rural families in *Maiyya ke Mayke* village in Uttarkashi have found themselves virtually imprisoned in their own homes. The roads leading to their homestays and hotels—developed under the much-publicized self-employment scheme touted as a game changer for the rural economy by the state government—have been blocked.

The road closures have been carried out by the agency responsible for constructing the ropeway in the area, causing widespread outrage among the locals.

Angered by the blockade, villagers have halted the ropeway construction in Kharsali. They have warned that work will not resume until they are given immediate access to roads. The villagers have also raised serious concerns over the working style of the implementing agency. They stated that a delegation will soon meet with senior government officials to present the full situation and are also considering taking the matter to court.

It is worth noting that ropeway construction is currently underway in Kharsali, the main base village for the Yamunotri Dham pilgrimage. On Sunday, villagers protested against the lack of access by stopping the ongoing construction. Social activist Aniruddh Prasad Uniyal from the village said that villagers had donated 80 *nali* (traditional unit of land) of land to the tourism department for the ropeway project. At that time, it was clearly promised that access routes for the villagers would be maintained. Despite several written communications to the authorities, the agency has now blocked the road.

He added that villagers have halted construction work since Friday, and if access is not restored immediately, they will not allow the ropeway work to continue.