Uttarakhand govt to constitute committee to prepare for Char Dham Yatra

Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday directed officials to constitute a committee to prepare for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra.

Dhami said police officers of the rank of additional superintendent and above should be appointed to manage traffic during the pilgrimage period.

“Shortcomings and problems that have come to light in the yatra during previous years should be removed this year by taking lessons through such experiences. CCTV should be installed on Char Dham routes and sensitive areas. Along with the passengers, the interests of the local people should also be kept in mind. Live monitoring of all the Char Dhams should be done from the government level and the disaster control room should be operated properly,” he said.

Also Read: Portals of Badrinath Dham to be opened on May 12

Dhami added pilgrims should have access to weather forecasts. “For this arrangements should be made to send alert messages on the mobile phones of pilgrims. There should be regular cleaning of footpaths and routes. Special cleanliness should be maintained in the toilets built on the yatra route. The number of toilets should also be increased on the yatra routes”, he said.

The CM also instructed officials to ensure a plastic- free Char Dham yatra. “Even before the commencement of the yatra, arrangements for 24-hour power supply should be ensured in all the Dhams. Streetlights should also be installed on routes. Besides, smooth drinking water supply arrangements should also be made on the yatra routes”, he said.

Dhami put emphasis on improving the condition of Char Dham routes before the pilgrimage commences.

“Places where most of the roads are blocked should be identified and arrangements for JCB/earth moving machines should be made. If any route is closed during the yatra, arrangements should be made to open it immediately. To assess the requirement of buses and taxis for yatra, arrangements should be made in advance”, he said.

Dhami directed officials to expand health-related arrangements on the yatra route soon. “Along with the deployment of medical and requisite staff, arrangements should be made for life-saving medicines, equipment, portable oxygen cylinders and ambulances/air ambulances in temporary medical centres on the yatra routes. To prevent diseases in horses and mules, veterinarians should be deployed on the routes”, he said.

The CM said that during the months when pilgrims travel on the routes, arrangements should be made for deployment of security forces. “Wherever necessary, temporary police posts should also be established. Officials/ /departments doing good work during the yatra will be felicitated by the state government,” he said.

Also Read: 200 pilgrims died during Char Dham yatra this year: Govt data

The portals of Badrinath Dham will open at 6 am on May 12 this year. Char Dham shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November). Char Dham yatra broke all-time record last year with pilgrim influx crossing 5.6 million mark. In 2022, over 4.6 million pilgrims had visited the four revered Himalayan shrines.

Last year 245 pilgrims had died during the Char Dham journey due to health ailments and other issues. Of 245 pilgrims,120 deaths were reported on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra route, 46 deaths on the Badrinath Dham route, 30 deaths on the Gangotri Dham route and 39 on the Yamunotri Dham route. Nine deaths were also reported on the Hemkund Sahib route in the Chamoli district, according to state government data.