Uttarakhand News: A significant number of pilgrims have been traveling to Uttarakhand since the start of the Char Dham Yatra. As a result, the system there has begun to fail. The administration has changed a few things recently.
Rapid Surge in Pilgrim Numbers
Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar told news agency ANI, ‘In just 4 days, the number of devotees coming on Chardham Yatra has crossed the figure of 2 lakh. A total of 34 lakh pilgrims had visited Char Dham in 2019. This number will increase to 56 lakh in 2023.’
DGP Abhinav Kumar estimates that in 2024, there may be 70–75 lakh devotees if current trends continue. We would like to request that they exercise some patience due to the large number of pilgrims traveling this year. Along the yatra route, we have designated several locations where, should crowd pressure worsen, we will stop the pilgrims.
Enhanced Communication
According to Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, “11 people have died so far during the Char Dham Yatra…Today, a meeting was held regarding the Char Dham Yatra under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.”
He added, “It came to light that offline passengers are travelling before their given date, and instructions have been given to investigate it. All DMs have been instructed that there should be adequate structureswhere passengers are being stopped. Also, complete information will be given to the passengers through messages.”