Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 20 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Friday, directed the officials to make efforts to increase their carrying capacity given the development of infrastructure facilities at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
According to the Chief Minister, full preparations should be made from now on for the successful conduct and smooth conduct of the upcoming Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand and all the processes for creating a Yatra Authority to strengthen all the arrangements for the Chardham Yatra should be completed by January 30.
The Chief Minister stated that a meeting should take place by January 15 with the pilgrimage priests and stakeholders of the four Dhams to gather their suggestions. It is essential to implement the best possible travel management strategies by considering the input from these priests and stakeholders. Additionally, the travel registration system should be improved through better utilization of digital technology to ensure a well-organized Chardham Yatra.
He emphasized that the journey to the four Dhams of Uttarakhand is significant for the honour and dignity of the state. With the upcoming Chardham Yatra, he stated that preparations should begin immediately to ensure all necessary facilities for the pilgrims are in place. This includes traffic management, development of infrastructure, considering the carrying capacity of the Dhams, and making various arrangements along the travel routes, as well as addressing all other relevant aspects.
Last year, a large number of devotees participated in the Chardham Yatra. To improve this experience, a comprehensive plan should be developed and implemented from now on.
The Chief Minister said that it should also be ensured that at the places where there is a system of stopping vehicles on the Chardham Yatra routes, along with adequate parking arrangements, full attention should be paid to hotels, drinking water, toilets, cleanliness and all other basic needs. He said that special attention should also be paid to the development of mythological, spiritual and historical places around the four Dhams.
The improvement of travel arrangements is also continuously done at the winter stay places of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, and the arrangements will also be well organized during the Chardham Yatra as well.
He said that along with the development of the mythological areas around the winter stay sites of these four Dhams of the state, the importance of Panch Badri and Panch Kedar should also be widely publicized and their planned development should also be done.
Professor Dheeraj Sharma, the Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak, delivered a presentation highlighting the significant challenges encountered during the Chardham Yatra in previous years. He discussed potential solutions to these issues, focusing on improving traffic management and enhancing the registration system for the pilgrimage.