Kedarnath MLA Manoj Rawat has said that the state government should be more sensitive for managing the Char Dham Yatra in the state. Talking to the media persons outside the state assembly on Monday, Rawat claimed that a total of 37 pilgrims have so far died in Kedarnath alone in ongoing Yatra season.
He suggested that since Kedarnath shrine is situated at an altitude of 11000 feet above the mean sea level, the Yatris should be allowed only after a proper health check up. “ I have seen people carrying as young as 3 month old children to Kedarnath and pilgrims of 90 years of age. There should be some criteria set in place,’’ he said. The Congress MLA said that people are surging in the shrines like Kedarnath and Badrinath these days but the number drops drastically after the monsoon sets. “Government should ensure that the people are prompted to visit these shrines till October, November when very few people visit these places,’’ he suggested.