The portals of Badrinath shrine will be opened to the public on April 26 but the highway to the shrine is yet to be cleared. If this task is not completed on time, devotees might have to walk some distance to visit Badrinath on Sunday when the shrine will be reopened for the public.
The Border Roads Organisation is working to clear the National Highway-58 to Badrinath in time for the reopening but heavy glacier blocks have made the task more challenging.
The Utsav Doli (ceremonial palanquin) of lord Badrinath will depart from Pandukeshwar to Badrinath on Saturday but the highway is still blocked to traffic at Kanchan Ganga.
In addition to this, the public toilets to be installed along the route through Sulabh International have not yet been put in place which might cause further inconvenience to the pilgrims in case of further delay in facilitation.
Businessmen who run shops in Badrinath have started arriving in the temple township but many feet deep snow in front of their shops is presenting problems for the traders.
The residents of the Bamni and Mana villages too have not been able to return to their hamlets due to the snow. Generally, the villagers return to these villages few days before reopening of the Badrinath shrine to the public.
However, the closed road and snowfall have prevented the villagers from returning to their villages with supplies and other goods. The villagers might have to wait a couple of days for the road to be reopened to traffic.
Though the Government claims to have made all necessary arrangements for the pilgrimage to Badrinath, the locals do not appear satisfied with the working of the Government. When this correspondent tried to contact the Chamoli district magistrate Ashok Kumar repeatedly, the officer’s mobile phone was found to be switched off.