DEHRADUN: After having  hit badly by Corona pandemic for two years, hordes of pilgrims and tourists have started making a beeline for legendary Char Dham Yatra. Uttarakhand government has opened the Kapats of the sky- rocketing  sacred Badrinath and Kedarnath temples  from Friday to greet tourist to rejig local economy this season.       

The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government of Uttarakhand has set a target of 50 lakh pilgrims and tourists, who are expected to visit the sacred shrines of Char Dham this season.  

Amid the sacred chants of “Jai, Jai Kedara” and ringing bells,  Dhami performed puja at  Kedarnath temple after the Char Dham was thrown open for pilgrims. “We wish the yatra brings peace and prosperity for every yatri and locals this year”, he said.  

Char Dham pilgrim arrival had hit an all-time high of 35 lakh yatris earlier. But this time it could be more than 50 lakh, says the Anoop Nautiyal, president of the Social Development for Community Foundation(SDCF)  Dehradun.

Curbs Not Enough

As a result, traffic and parking are emerging as a major challenge for authorities. The SUVs and buses have started lining up on the hill roads, creating traffic jams and congestion. “Traffic management is a big test for the Uttarakhand police and civic authorities, said Nautiyal.

The state government has recently restricted the daily number of pilgrims that are allowed to visit the Char Dham. While this is a welcome decision from the standpoint of carrying capacity, many people has opposed it as this will disrupt their schedule since booking has been made well in advance, he said.

Tourist Towns and Carrying Capacity

Uttarakhand needs to address  carrying capacity of the tourist towns like Mussoorie and Nainital.

Room ability parking traffic movement and  other metrics should be used to ascertain  scientific calculations that will ensure sustainability, said the members of the civil society groups.

Tourists are Asked Not to  Litter Hill Stations

Another major challenge is the issue of waste disposal in Char Dham and other tourist towns in Uttarakhand. The issue of waste disposal is a pressing problem for authorities as they lack adequate manpower and resources.

The tourists pay scant attention to trash and junk. They litter spots carelessly, polluting rivers and environment in Uttarakhand.

They appeal to them for making Char Dham yatra better and they should avoid littering.

Uttarakhand is a spiritual cultural hub in the Himalaya. It is ecologically very sensitive destination and so is its tradition culture and heritage.

The tourists are requested to respect local practice and behave accordingly. Secondly all the service providers in the tourists should ensure that they do not fleece the pilgrims and the tourists and charge which is justified and fixed by the civic authorities, urged NGO. Mutual respect is most vital aspect of tourism in the mountains, Nautiyal said.

Drive Slow in the Hills

The tourists should also must be made aware that driving in the mountains is a tough task. It needs extra care and attention while driving on the serpentine roads as a misstep could mean death in the gorges downhill.

The rash driving on narrow hill roads could be dangerous. Many precious lives have been lost while driving carelessly in the hills.

If travelling with drivers, the tourists must ensure that they take rest while driving. “There is no point in covering all destinations in a hurry. Slow driving is the safest driving”, Nautiyal said.  

Char Dham Yatra is Bread and Butter for Locals

Char Dham yatra is a major source of economy of locals. Yatra spans an economic activity expected to run into excess of Rs 1000 crore this season.

Locals mainly unemployed depend upon the Yatris’  arrivals in Char Dham for their survival every year.  They provide everything from temple prasad to kits, from path assistance to road side food courts and night stays to yatris every day from Karan Prayag to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri every day.

The travel agents, taxi, horse and tour operators say that the opening of Char Dham has come as a major rejuvenator for local economy of people.

You can see smiles on their faces and hope that  Lord of Land-Kedernath and Badrinath will  bless them with better business this year.  Char Dham yatra is bread and butter for them.