Suspended Char Dham Yatra now back on track, says CM

The suspended Char Dham Yatra is now back on track, claimed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, while addressing the mediapersons here on Monday. The yatra was suspended following landslides triggered by heavy rainfall on June 25. The Chief Minister said Badrinath route has been reopened for small vehicles and yatris were heading towards Kedarnath on the bridle path from Sonprayag while the route to lakshman temple and Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara is also clear. 

He informed the temporary arrangements were in place where bridges had collapsed due to recent rains. Rawat said visitors would be informed about weather reports at Rishikesh and other places, based on which they can take their own judgments for proceeding further. He said that efforts are being made to send regular weather updates on the mobile phones of the visitors during their journey. 

Rawat said he was closely monitoring the situation and was feeling assured that the State machinery was capable of providing safety to the visitors. He, however, added that weather conditions were always unpredictable. The CM also expressed his condolences to the family of Delhi resident, Veena Gupta who died inside Chinese territory during Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra on Sunday. 

He said the body of Gupta was brought to Gunji from where arrangements to airlift it are being made.The Chief Minister said that a temporary police station in Sonprayag would be set up for better coordination on Yatra route similarly the contingent of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police personnel would be more than doubled to safety of Yatris. 

In addition to them four magistrates would also be deployed for monitoring and taking prompt action in case of any emergency, he added.Rawat thanked the pilgrims for their cooperation and keeping their faith on the administration. In response to a question he asserted that Char Dham Yatra is pride of the state and state is committed to keep it free from interruptions.