Dehradun/Shimla – The Char Dham Yatra 2024 is a logistical and mismanaged mess, reveals a damning report by the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation.
It’s high time the CM Pushkar Singh Dhami pulls up the slack Bureaucracy and UK Tourism Department. He needs to prioritize safe and sustainable Yatra management over PR stunts.
Titled Pathways to Pilgrimage: Data Insights, Challenges, and Opportunities, the report exposes how the state’s obsession with record-breaking numbers is risking lives and wrecking the environment.
SDCF released the report to the media at Dehradun Press club here today.
Chaotic Crowds, Poor Planning
From May 10 to November 18, 41% of pilgrims crammed into the first 30 days of the Yatra. The rest trickled in over five months, according to data from the 66-page report.
The peak? A jaw-dropping 563,292 pilgrims thronged the shrines in just one week from May 17 to May 23, accounting for 12% of the total footfall. This is a peak summer holiday season in the plains.
The state's lack of preparedness for such surges is glaring. Overcrowding, environmental degradation, and safety lapses dominate the Char Dham yatra in 2024.
Disaster Mismanagement in Kedarnath
July 31’s disaster brought Kedarnath Yatra to a halt. From August 1 to August 10, not a single pilgrim could reach the shrine as it was a peak Monsson season.
The impact lingered. By the end of August, only 7,418 pilgrims visited Kedarnath. Compare this to May’s staggering numbers—it’s a big failure in disaster planning.
SDCF Data Says It All
The Yatra stretched over 192 days, yet:
• 22% visited between Days 31-60.
• Just 5% showed up from Days 61-90.
• The last 12 weeks accounted for a mere 30% of pilgrims.
Clearly, seasonality rules this migration. Summers bring heatwaves, and tourists escape to the hills. But is the state ready to handle this annual rush? The report says no.
Carrying Capacity Ignored
SDCF President Anoop Nautiyal said. “Violating carrying capacity is playing with fire”.
The National Green Tribunal’s push for a carrying capacity study of the Char Dham shrines is a step forward. But where’s the action?
Even the state’s mid-term review—a 100-day data analysis report submitted to the Chief Secretary—remained under the carpet. Tourism officials? Silent. Meetings? None. Outcomes? Unknown.
Broken Registration System
The report terms the registration process for pilgrims as a nightmare. Ordinary pilgrims and tech-savvy users alike struggle with it. Result? Rural and tribal devotees are left out.
Recommendations? Simplify registrations, start early, and allow group bookings. But will the government listen?
Waste, Traffic, and Protests
The report highlights media-documented chaos:
• Traffic jams choke routes.
• Helicopter services lack rescue measures.
• Waste piles up in fragile Himalayan regions.
Pilgrim protests over registration failures add fuel to the fire. Is this the “spiritual experience” the government is selling?
What Needs Fixing
SDC’s 10-point plan urges sustainable management over record-breaking chest-thumping. It calls for:
• Disaster management reforms.
• Enhanced healthcare on routes.
• Revenue strategies benefiting locals.
• Year-round pilgrimage options to ease summer chaos.
Token Care, No Real Action
The Chief Secretary called the report “constructive” and forwarded it to the tourism department. What happened next? Nothing so far.
