Char Dham Yatra, which was temporarily stopped due to heavy rains and landslides, has resumed. The Garhwal Commissioner said that the Yatra is smooth and the administration is giving priority to the safety of the pilgrims. Passengers have been appealed to remain alert and follow official instructions.
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [भारत]July 21 (ANI): Following a comprehensive review of the pilgrimage routes, the Char Dham Yatra, which was temporarily suspended on July 20 as a precautionary measure, has now resumed smoothly.
Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup said that the Yatra is being conducted in coordination with the district administration, police, SDRF and other concerned departments in all Char Dham districts. According to a release, the pilgrimage routes are being continuously monitored with extra vigilance in sensitive areas.
He appealed to the pilgrims that if the route is temporarily disrupted due to heavy rains, landslides or any other reason, they should remain in safe places or holding areas identified by the administration and strictly follow the instructions issued by the administration and police. Travel will be allowed to resume only after the situation becomes normal.
The Garhwal Commissioner emphasized that the safety of the pilgrims is the top priority of the administration. All concerned departments have been directed to continuously monitor the weather conditions and pilgrimage routes so that immediate action can be taken if needed. Pilgrims are also advised to check the latest weather information before undertaking their journey and rely only on official advisories issued by the administration.
Why was the journey stopped earlier?
Earlier, the Uttarakhand administration had temporarily halted the Char Dham Yatra as a precautionary measure in view of continuous heavy rains on Monday, red and orange alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and landslides at several places on the pilgrimage routes.
The Garhwal Commissioner had directed all concerned District Magistrates and officials to ensure that the pilgrims who are already on the route are accommodated at safe places. They have also been directed to allow the pilgrims to resume their onward journey only after the routes are declared completely safe.
The authorities have also been asked to provide timely and accurate information to the pilgrims and public through media and other communication channels. The administration said the decision was taken only as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing weather conditions and the condition of the yatra routes, with the safety of pilgrims being the top priority.
The pilgrimage will be resumed once the routes are declared safe and the situation becomes normal. Pilgrims have been advised not to pay attention to rumours, rely only on official advisories issued by the administration and follow the instructions of the concerned district authorities until the weather conditions improve. (ANI)
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