Cloudburst in Kedarnath has not only put challenge before pilgrims and local residents but also marred the hope of college students, who used to work as waiter or cook in the month of June only to earn their pocket money, because most of them were unemployed.
According to villagers 70 per cent students of Government Inter College (GIC), Chandranagar, Rudraprayag, students work as waiter or cook during summer vacation in hotel or lodge, has lost their source of pocket money.
Talking to The Pioneer, Ashutosh Rawat, a student of Class XII of the College, said he was working as waiter in Kedar Dham Hotel by drawing around Rs 4,600 per month including Rs 100 cash award fixed. He along with other two students —Ankit Rawat and Ashutosh Rawat —was busy in counting their salary and tips on road side because their owner had relieved them from hotel service on June 23. He said since June 16 flow of pilgrims has been slow down and since June 20 he did not receive any pilgrim. He used to work as waiter since 2012 and had earned Rs 9800 including Rs 3300 salary and Rs 6300 as tip. This year he earned Rs 7700 including Rs 3000 as tips since June 1.
He said around 70 per cent students were working on these hotels but now they have returned home. They were having mix reaction because, on the one hand, they were happy that they return home early but were disappointed because they would not get an opportunity to work on Kedarnath route, which is mere 2 km away from Rampur, by next year because Kedarnath shrine is not going to open for next five six years.
Another student Sumit Negi, who is a resident of Moli, Chandrapuri, Rudraprayag, said his brother Amit Negi, who had been working with mule owner and used to ferry pilgrims from Gauri Kund to Kedarnath, is missing since June 17 but he was working in Hari Om lodge despite having information about his brother missing because of his commitment with the hotel. Now he will visit to Kedarnath to search his brother. He said seldom you will find a family whose members are not missing. Another student Jagat Singh Rawat, who was working as cook in uncle's hotel at Naryankoti, said that during yatra season he used to prepare 750-800 parantha per day but now he is preparing around 100-120 paratha since June 20.