U’khand CM holds review meeting ahead of Char Dham Yatra from April 30

Dehradun, Mar 10 (PTI) Expecting an influx in the number of Char Dham Yatra devotees this year, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday directed officials to complete all the arrangements in advance.

Ahead of the Char Dham Yatra which is scheduled to begin from April 30, Dhami held a meeting to review preparations for the annual pilgrimage.

Describing the Char Dham Yatra as the “lifeline of the state” and “a major medium of economy”, the CM said that keeping in mind the challenges faced last year, work should be done at every level to ensure a smooth and safe pilgrimage this year.

Last year, about 50 lakh devotees reached the Char Dham -- Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath -- located in the Upper Garhwal Himalayan region.

Ahead of the yatra, more than three lakh devotees had already reached Uttarakhand due to which there were several kilometer long queues of vehicles on the roads.

CM Dhami said the registration system for devotees should be further strengthened during the yatra, traffic management should be done in a better way, proper parking arrangements should be made on the routes and it should be ensured that the devotees do not face unnecessary trouble.

The Char Dham Yatra is starting on 30 April on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya when the doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams will be opened.

The portals of Kedarnath Dham will be opened on 2 May and Badrinath Dham on 4 May.

Dhami also directed officials to ensure timely completion of the ongoing road construction work on the yatra routes.

The chief minister also asked the officials to keep an eye on the sale of helicopter service tickets on the black market He said that proper arrangements for health screening tests should also be made, adequate toilet facilities on the yatra routes and cleanliness should be done, spreading the message of “Green Char Dham Yatra” Devotees should also be encouraged not to use single-use plastic and keep mobile connectivity on the yatra routes.

The CM also directed the officials to monitor sensitive areas using drones and make arrangements to give real-time weather updates to the devotees. PTI DPT NB