DEHRADUN, May 17 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said a masterplan will be prepared for the creation of better facilities for pilgrims in Yamunotri and Gangotri, considering the steady rise in tourist influx each year.
“The Char Dham Yatra is our priority. We will prepare a masterplan for the Gangotri-Yamunotri region that will include better parking and drinking water facilities for devotees, whose numbers are rising steadily with each passing year,” the chief minister said.
“There was some chaos in the initial days of the yatra because of the number of pilgrims doubling this year but it has become smooth now,” Dhami told reporters after reviewing the travel arrangements on the way to Yamunotri.
The Char Dham Yatra started on May 10 with the opening of doors of Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The portals to Badrinath opened on May 12.
Dhami also spoke to pilgrims and sought feedback on the yatra arrangements. He advised the devotees to proceed only after registering themselves and on the days allotted to avoid inconvenience.
Pilgrims are welcome but the surging crowds have to be managed and the yatra regulated because of the sanctity of the dhams and their peculiar geographic location, Dhami said.
Special attention is being paid to ensure that the yatra is controlled and well-organised, he added.
The chief minister also conducted an aerial inspection of Kharsali and Jankichatti areas, besides Yamunotri.
He visited the passenger registration and checking centre at Dobata near Barkot on the Yamunotri route and gathered information about the arrangements.
Dhami met groups of pilgrims in Paligad and enquired about their experience during the journey.
The chief minister also requested Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey to find a way out for pilgrims who had travelled too far without a registration so that they do not have to return without “darshan”. (PTI)
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