Chamoli District Magistrate Ashish Joshi along with officials conducted site inspections to check arrangements for the pilgrimage to Badrinath slated to resume later this month. He directed officials to ensure that all necessary arrangements are done by April 22.while chairing a meeting with officials in the Badrinath Nagar Panchayat hall, the District Magistrate said that road connectivity, health services, potable water, electricity supply, foodgrain storage, sanitation and other arrangements should be completed without delay.
He directed that machines and manpower should be deployed at all the 37 sensitive sites on the Yatra route from Gauchar to Mana. The mechanical excavators should be kept near landslide prone areas to enable immediate action when needed.
The chief medical officer was directed to ensure adequate stock of various life saving medicines and the presence of doctors and other staff in all community health centres and primary health centres on the pilgrimage route. Taking serious cognisance of power problems experienced in Badrinath in the previous year, the District Magistrate directed the electricity department to ensure proper supply this time. The Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) was directed to make necessary arrangements in case of power supply disruption in Badrinath.
The electricity department was also directed to provide connections for the high mast lights set up at bus station and temple complex in Badrinath. Officials of Jal Sansthan were directed to ensure proper water supply at all the standposts on the pilgrimage route.
The district supply officer was directed to ensure that stock of food grains, diesel, petrol and cooking gas is stocked for at least three months in advance to ensure no problems are faced in their availability during the pilgrimage. Regarding sanitation, the DM expressed dissatisfaction at the garbage strewn around in Mana and nearby areas. He directed that the slope of the road at lambagad be addressed and that loose boulders be removed from the site. Expressing dissatisfaction at soil spread on the road here, he directed that RBM be used here so that traffic is not disrupted during the rains.
The Chamoli superintendent of police Tripti Bhatt said that there is greater possibility of road being blocked during the Yatra season this year. Considering this, instructions were issued for placing additional machinery and extra manpower in the identified sensitive spots. A police station will be established at Badrinath by April 18, she added.