PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
With about 20 lakh people having visited the Char Dham so far, chief secretary Anand Bardhan said that in case of an increase in the pilgrim crowd the night darshan system could be started as done in past years. Directing officials to keep pilgrims at holding areas in lower areas of various stops on the Yatra routes when required, he said that all necessary facilities should be provided in the holding areas. Bardhan said this while reviewing the Yatra at the State Emergency Operation Centre here on Saturday. He issued necessary instructions to the district magistrates for ensuring proper arrangements for the pilgrimage in the meeting.
The district administration, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and stakeholders will have to work in coordination to provide all necessary facilities and services to ensure that the pilgrims have convenient darshan and do not face any problem, he said. Bardhan also directed the district magistrates to take all necessary steps to prepare for the coming monsoon season. All the holding areas should be activated from now. Further, all the districts concerned should prepare the holding area and exit plan for emergencies like heavy rain and landslides. The chief secretary also directed the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority to prepare its exit plan so that facilities are already in place if airlifting is required. All the districts concerned were also directed to keep adequate stocks of ration and other essential items.
Bardhan directed officials to lay special focus on registration and health checks for the Char Dham Yatra pilgrims. He said that those aged above 60 years, those taking very small children along and the sick devotees should be motivated to avoid undertaking the pilgrimage, adding that this should also be consistently publicised.
