After checking the arrangements and facilities on the Char Dham Yatra route, the State Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh reached Gangotri in Uttarkashi district on the weekend. Earlier, he held a meeting with the officials regarding the arrangements for the yatra at forest rest house on Saturday evening.

He expressed his displeasure at the absence of sanitation workers at Sulabh lavatories at Heena biometric centre and told the Sulabh International officials that any laxity would not be tolerated. He also asked the District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan to keep an eye on the situation. During his inspection more than 4000 pilgrims had registered at Heena biometric centre. During his visit to the Harshil bus stand, he directed the officials to remove the cars parked in the premises and rearrange the space properly. The chief secretary emphasised on cleanliness along the entire yatra route.  At Gangotri shrine, the temple committee priests greeted him as he joined in the ‘Arti’ ritual at the shrine. Following that he heard the grievances of the priest fraternity and assured to find a solution soon.

The officials from the temple priest committee presented a memorandum letter demanding land arrangement, installing stones at the shrine area, installation of borewell, proper facilities at the bathing ghats and road at Jagla among other issues.

 The chief secretary assured to resolve the issues soon. The Uttarkashi district magistrate said that the bathing Ghats were being constructed as Swachchh model place.

The chief secretary directed the DM to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water and asked him to identify a place and initiate action after conducting a survey for installing borewell at Gangotri.   He directed the Jal Sansthan officials to connect the remaining sewage connection to the sewage treatment plant soon. He directed the DM to constitute a committee of officials from irrigation, mining, forest departments along with Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology scientists and remove the debris form the river according to the report given by the committee. He said that the stones should be laid on the lines of the work done in the Kedarnath temple premises, on the path to shrine, pathway and temple dais so that the place is strengthened and the local craftsmen are also promoted. He directed the electricity department officials to ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity. The DM informed that 100 solar lights have been installed in the temple area while Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) was generating electicity and providing it to the temple area.

He directed the Sulabh Shauchalay and district tourism officials to increase the number of toilets at Dabrani and Heena. He directed the officials to deploy additional people in crowded areas. Singh said that the cleanliness and hygiene were on priority list of the government on Char Dham route and any negligence will not be tolerated.

Punitive action will be taken in case of negligence, he warned. The chief secretary left for Gaumukh trek on foot early on Sunday morning and is slated to stay overnight at Bhojbasa.