PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Officials concerned have been posted along the Char Dham Yatra route to ensure regular monitoring and maintenance of water facilities installed for pilgrims, Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) secretary (Appraisal) Maneesh Semwal said. He said that they make extensive arrangements every year for the Char Dham Yatra to support devotees with this year is no exception.
For the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, UJS has installed 582 tank type stand posts and pillar type stand posts, 1,071 hand pumps, 82 water ATMs and purifiers and 97 water tankers. The department has also deployed 26 departmental and 71 hired tankers. To guide pilgrims, 308 signboards and 18 LED displays have been put up. Besides, 36 geysers for hot water and 61 drinking water Chharis for horses and mules have been set up on Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib and Yamunotri trek routes, he added.
On maintenance of these water structures, Semwal said officials have been deployed across the Yatra route to monitor water structures regularly and carry out upkeep. These water structures are also cleaned as per requirement. The main challenge during the Yatra is regular monitoring as the facilities are spread over long distances. Despite this, deployed staff manage the task, he said.
He further said that divisions have selected and deployed these officials on the Char Dham route and informed UJS about it. The water quality at the Yatra sites is being ensured, Semwal claimed.
According to the officials, UJS began inspecting and monitoring the functionality of these water structures before the Yatra began. This pre-Yatra check helps identify faults. If any defect is found, the structures are repaired or replaced as needed.
