In view of the rising number of pilgrims, arrangements should be made for an additional 1,000 persons to halt overnight in Kedarnath. The level of sanitation should be maintained as desired in the toilets on the pilgrimage route. A Superintendent of police rank officer should also be appointed specially for the Char Dham Yatra road circuit, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat while chairing a meeting to review Char Dham Yatra arrangements late on Friday night.
Rawat said that a positive message was broadcast by the successful conduct of Char Dham Yatra last year due to which the number of visitors is more than double the number in past years.
All required facilities should be provided for the pilgrims with special focus on ensuring they experience no type of inconvenience. In view of the coming monsoon season, necessary arrangements should be made to ensure that in case of pilgrimage route being blocked, it should cleared and opened to traffic in a couple of hours. To ensure this, mechanical excavators and other machinery should be deployed at vulnerable spots. Police posts should also be set up at Sirohbagad, Gholdir and Maithana among others. Sulabh Shauchalayas should also be constructed for the convenience of pilgrims on the Yatra route. Rawat also directed that an SP level officer be deputed specifically for the Yatra.
The CM said that all effort should be made to ensure good quality of the food being served to visitors at Kedarnath. In case of women self help groups and local persons offering to prepare such food, they should be accorded priority. The CM also directed officials of the Public Works Department, Border Roads Organisation and other executing agencies to bring more improvement in the condition of the roads. Swift repairs should be made wherever the pilgrimage road is damaged.
Rawat directed the inspector general of police Sanjay Gunjyal and mantain director of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ravi Shankar to set up tents needed for additional 1,000 pilgrims in Kedarnath within the next 10 days.
The Rudraprayag district magistrate should establish coordination with the IG any GMVN MD to facilitate a secure area. The chief minister also directed officials concerned to take various measures on the Char Dham Yatra circuit for potable water, health, electricity supply and other basic facilities.
Arrangements should be made to supply water in tankers in areas likely to face problem in water supply, said Rawat. The Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited (BSNl) services should be further improved on the Yatra circuit to ensure that the pilgrims do not face network problem, he added. Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh, director general of police MA Ganapathy, principal secretary Umakant Panwar, information secretary Vinod Kumar and secretary Bhupinder Kaur Aulukh among others were also present in the meeting.