Gartang Gali: One of world's most dangerous routes to be repaired after 50 years

Gartang Gali, an ancient route for Indo-Tibet trade before 1962, will now emerge as a new tourist destination. The government has announced to repair this significant route by spending Rs 35 lakh on it. The Public Works Department Bhatwadi of the Uttarakhand government is assigned the job.  This road is in the Nelong Valley, Uttarkashi. 

The new project is under the Border Development Plan. Under this, PWD  will repair the Gartang Gali. This route is an exciting place for trekking enthusiasts. Giving information about this, the District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said that PWD had called the tender for development work. The completion deadline for the project is 2020. 

This street is known as the beautiful track. Tourists from all over the country and abroad have come to see it. A proposal from Uttarakhand regarding the same is with the Central government. The plan is to open it again for domestic and foreign tourists. Approval of the proposal will boost tourism in tribal areas. A 40-member team has taken stock of this area.

11 thousand feet above sea level

This street is at an altitude of 11 thousand feet above sea level. In the 17th century, the Pathans of Peshawar prepared this path by cutting the Himalayas' steep hills. This 500-meter long timber-lined stairway (Gartang Gali) has been a witness to Indo-Tibet trade. Before 1962, Indo-Tibet traders travelled through this route by loading goods on yaks, horse-mules, and sheep-goats. The army also used this route for ten years after the Indo-China war. The subsequent governments did not maintain it after this. China borders the Nilang Valley in Uttarkashi district. Simla, Mandi, Bluewater, Trapani, PDA, and Jadung are the last posts on the border. Since this is strategically sensitive, this area is now the Inner Line Area. Here the army is vigilant at every step and is prohibited from going without permission.

Tibetan traders used to come here

Ajay Puri of Uttarkashi says that Dorji (Tibetan merchant) used to reach Uttarkashi via Sumla, Mandi, Gartangali with a cloth made of wool and leather and salt. Then there was a halt in Uttarkashi. For this reason, Uttarkashi is also known as Badahat (big market). After selling the goods, Dorji returned from oil, spices, pulses, jaggery, tobacco, etc.