While reviewing the char dham pilgrimage in course of a video conferencing with the district police chiefs on Tuesday, State DGP MA Ganapathy asked the police officers concerned to take adequate measures to ensure a smooth pilgrimage in view of the heavy rainfall forecast by the Meteorological centre for the next 10 days.
Additional DGP (law and order) Ram Singh Meena said after the video conference was over that police officers have been directed to form quick response teams (QRT) at all the four shrines apart from briefing the tourist police from time to time for ensuring smooth conduct of the pilgrimage in the State. Meena further said that 7, 12, 071 pilgrims have completed their pilgrimage so far, the figure having had a quantum jump with the figure of the last year during this period standing at around four lakh.
He said that as the road had been blocked en route Badrinath due to landslides with the pilgrims remaining stranded midway for a day, SDRF personnel, local police and other teams had cleared the roads promptly.