The Uttarakhand Meteorological Department had declared that the monsoon had arrived in Uttarakhand on June 21. And President Pranab Mukherjee’s plan to visit Kedarnath by a helicopter did not succeed due to inclement weather.
Things turning worse with the advancement of the monsoon, the aviation companies are all set to wind up their service for Kedarnath till October. After the beginning of Char Dham yatra, helicopter companies were getting very few sorties for the last ten days. They finally decided to close the service till weather improves in the valley. In this process six companies have wound up. Besides, one company’s helicopter has gone to Delhi for maintenance.
As per the companies’ claim, over the last ten days they made just 100 sorties which is too less to even to meet its maintenance expenses.
It would be pertinent to mention here that this year Kedarnath yatra started on May 9 and since then 13 aviation companies had been operating here. They made a fairly large number of sorties due to huge number of pilgrims. last year, only 10 companies ran their sortie. A few weeks ago, two aviation companies were asked to stop operation for not conforming to the norms.
It would be pertinent to mention here that earlier Kedarnath yatra track was mere 13 km long, making it easy for the pilgrims to visit. In the 2013 disaster, Kedarnath dham and its track route were completely devastated, forcing the administration to make new route which is around 27 kilometer long. This left the pilgrims who can afford with little option but to avail the chopper trip to the shrine.
Sensing public mood, administration had allowed 13 companies to operate in the valley. In May, companies were making sortie between 6 am to 6 pm.
Till 20 June, these companies made sortie of around 10,000. Around 1,02,000 pilgrims, including 54,000, visited and 48,000 returned via air service. It is learnt that 70 percent sorties they made till May 31. As June begun then weather started deteriorating quite often, resulting in the decline in the pilgrims’ number. It was becoming difficult for the helicopters to take off due to poor visibility.
On 21 June, heavy rain being recorded, limited number of sortie were made by these companies. On June 22 air traffic controller (ATC) had imposed restriction on sortie till 11 am due to the President’s visit. Thereafter, weather worsening day by day, six companies have winded up their service and the remaining will be closed if ongoing weather prevails.
Now these companies will return by the last week of September or October. Till then, the pilgrims, who visit kedarnath via air route will have to think twice. Meanwhile, the local residents and the wild animals will get some relief from the deafening sound. But the visitors will have to trek 27 km to pay obeisance to lord Kedarnath.