Days after fresh cracks were found on the Joshimath-Badrinath highway, the Uttarakhand administration has started making preparations for pilgrims to make their way to Badrinath as part of this year’s Char Dham Yatra beginning on April 22, saying that a disaster management control room will be set up in the sinking town of Joshimath. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) team will also set up camp in Joshimath to respond to any alerts of further cave-ins or other emergencies.
Many of Joshimath’s beleaguered residents are unconvinced by these measures, expressing fear that the yatra will only exacerbate the crisis and put their rehabilitation on the back burner. Atul Sati, convener of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti — an NGO fighting for the rehabilitation of the townspeople — told The Hindu that fresh fissures have appeared on the road leading to Narasingh temple, known as the winter abode of lord Badrinath.
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“This is the same road which takes pilgrims to Badrinath from Joshimath,” said Mr. Sati, adding that fresh cracks were also reported on the highway between Joshimath and Marwari, which is used by pilgrims returning from Badrinath and passes through the main market in Joshimath.
‘Hotels full of evacuees’
Mr. Sati alleged that the government is trying to underplay the Joshimath crisis and falsely projecting that everything is safe in the town. Satellite studies have shown that the town is sinking, with cracks appearing in homes, buildings and roads over the last few months, forcing the evacuation of hundreds.
“The government should tell us how they will accommodate lakhs of pilgrims who will come to Joshimath — as the town is the gateway to Badrinath, to the valley of flowers, to Hemkund Sahib — when most of the hotels are occupied by locals who have been displaced,” said Mr. Sati. He further added that the Char Dham yatra is not possible until the government permanently rehabilitates the people who have lost their homes due to land subsidence.
Limiting yatra participants
Earlier, in a planning meeting, the Chief Minister said, “If there are cracks or any other problems on the roads in Joshimath, it will be treated immediately. A control room for disaster management will also be set up at Joshimath for the smooth commencement of the yatra.” Mr. Dhami was speaking at a meeting with the tourism and disaster management departments, representatives of the Char Dham temple committee and officials of the district administrations of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts where the Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri temples are situated respectively.
Ajayendra Ajay, president of the Badri-Kedar temple committee, who participated in the meeting, told The Hindu that the tourism department is planning to put a cap on the number of participants in the yatra this year. A record 40 lakh plus people took part in the Char Dham yatra in 2022.
‘Roads still potholed’
The CM noted that there have been complaints of potholes on the Char Dham yatra route despite instructions to the Public Works Department (PWD), and asked for a weekly review of the roads by the Principal Secretary, PWD and the District Magistrates of the concerned districts.
“This review will be continued until the reports of 100% pothole-free and improvement of PWD roads are received from the District Magistrates,” said Mr. Dhami. He asked all concerned departments to ensure that the best facilities are provided to devotees this time, while identifying the shortcomings from last year’s yatra.
The State is also planning to advertise the ‘not-so-well-known temples’ near the Char Dham yatra’s route and elsewhere in Uttarakhand, to ensure that more tourists visit the State.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the devotees to spend 5% of their travel expenses in buying local products, which will promote local products. Efforts should be made in this direction. Millet-based products should also be promoted during the Char Dham Yatra,” the CM told officials.
