Master plan will be made for Gangotri, Yamunotri Dham, says Uttarakhand CM amid overcrowding reports

May 17, 2024

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], May 17 : After several reports showed pilgrims facing difficulties because of overcrowding en route to Char Dham Yatra, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in future a master plan will be made for Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham so that devotees don't face any difficulties.
"The number of devotees on Char Dham Yatra has doubled in comparison to previous years. We are trying to make all arrangements so that devotees don't face any difficulties during the Yatra," said Dhami while talking to ANI.
CM also appealed to the devotees not to come without registration.
"I want to appeal to everyone to come here only after getting their registrations done. In the future, a master plan will be made for Gangotri and Yamunotri to make the journey of devotees smooth," said CM.
Further CM admitted of pilgrims facing difficulties because of overcrowding and said, "In the past few days, the passengers had some trouble due to the large number, but now our full effort is to make the journey run smoothly...I have asked the officials to know the problems of the people on the ground and solve them, I am also going myself..."
Addressing the media, CM Dhami noted, "This year, the number of tourists coming for the Char Dham Yatra has significantly increased compared to the past few years. Due to this surge, we had to pause the pilgrimage at certain points. However, the yatra has now resumed, and I have personally met with some devotees who are happily completing their journey without any troubles or hardships."
He further emphasised, "We are ensuring that every devotee can complete their worship. We appeal to all devotees not to come without registration, as it creates difficulties for both them and the system.
Meanwhile, police also warned pilgirms not to register for the Char Dham Yatra through fraudulent means. The Uttarkashi Police on Friday said necessary action will follow against those who do so. The police informed further that the ongoing pilgrimage to the Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham was going on smoothly without any disruption.
"Speaking with ANI, Dr Vishakha Ashok Bhadane, SP Rudraprayag, added, "Devotees are arriving for the Char Dham Yatra daily. We have noticed that many are coming without registration. All devotees wishing to visit Shri Kedarnath Dham should register themselves. Only then will they be allowed to visit the temple."
The Char Dham Yatra is a pilgrimage to four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in the state. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.