Char Dham yatra to ‘be regulated not restricted’

Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday said the Char Dham yatra would be regulated but not restricted.

Pilgrims would be registered through a biometric registration system. Emergency helicopter services would be provided if the yatra routes were blocked by landslips.

Mr Rawat said the focus was on restoring connectivity throughout the yatra route. “We will focus on road connectivity, the telecommunication network, and connectivity via helicopters,” he said.

Earlier this month, State Tourism Secretary Umakant Panwar told the media that mobile health units would be established every 10 to 20 km on the yatra route. Telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) had agreed to establish more towers on the route for better mobile phone connectivity.

One-fourth of the work on the highways and the bridle path to the Kedarnath shrine is complete, Mr Rawat said. He added that the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were working on war-footing towards restoration of the critical route between Sonprayag and Gaurikund, and the bridle path from Gaurikund to Bheembali for the Kedarnath yatra, which will commence on May 4.

“We are not claiming that we have completed the work,” Mr Rawat said.

“At present around 1,000 people are working in the Kedarnath Valley. The work is not over yet but it is progressing at a fast pace,” he added.

The 21-km bridle path to the shrine starts from Sonprayag. A 78-km stretch called the Mayali — Guptkashi state highway is an alternative route. This road was used to reach Guptkashi when the NH 109 got washed off at several places during the floods last year. However, both the routes were severely damaged and restoration work is being carried out along both.