Here's how Dhami government is controlling unprecedented crowd, ground report

Despite the uncontrollable rush at the beginning of the yatra, the Uttarakhand government has raised the daily limit imposed on the number of people visiting Char Dham by 1,000 more than the previous permitted number, at each holy site, for the first 45 days of the yatra season.

An earlier government order in this regard had been partially modified, increasing the limit to 16,000 for Badrinath, 13,000 for Kedarnath, 8,000 for Gangotri and 5,000 for Yamunotri, officials said on Wednesday.

The government’s decision to raise the daily limit comes after the administration brought the situation on the ground under control after the initial rush and mismanagement of the crowd, owing to the influx of a large number of people.

While announcing the increase in the cap on the daily limit of pilgrims, the CM Pushkar Dhami said that any pilgrim who wishes to visit shrines will have to register at the state tourism department’s website or offline at a police post falling along the route.

This norm was already there in force, but the pilgrims were largely flouting it. However, the strict implementation of the norms has resulted in a better situation.

Covid affected Char Dham yatra for two successive years, devotees were unable to embark on pilgrimage and at the same time, locals who depend on the influx of yatris could not make much from the same and had to face a hard time.

When the yatra kicked off, people thronged in large numbers leading to huge crowds moving dangerously on the difficult terrains, as shown in several viral videos doing rounds on social media.

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Within a week of the yatra, more than three lakh people have already visited the Char Dham. So far more than 10 lakh registrations have been done.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has sought a report from the state machinery on the deaths of 20 pilgrims in a week. Most pilgrims died on the harsh Yamunotri route owing to cardiac arrest and other related issues. Besides, pilgrims also died at Kedarnath and Badrinath due to a dip in oxygen levels.

The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summers (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November). This small window of time coincides firstly with peak summers in most parts of the country and specially in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. Secondly, this is also the time of summer vacation. Looking for respite from scorching heat people look for someplace to get escape and if that is clubbed with pilgrimage in the Himalayas it becomes “the place to go”.

With even better connectivity of roads, accessibility to reach holy sites, better and ever-evolving administration for the greater good, government support and facilities, and availability of telecom network with high speed 4G internet, makes the process smooth and easy to a large extent.

All four holy sites are located in the lap of the Himalayas with a fragile natural ecosystem. There are concerns among environmentalists and conservationists, with the huge influx of human population, bringing along with their vehicles and contributing towards creating air, water, and land pollution. There is a limit to which such young and beautiful mountains can cater to and sustain.

Another concern affecting administration and locals is that many people visit Char Dham as a picnic spot of some kind and treat holy places like just another holidaying place without taking into consideration the religious sentiments of locals and other real devotees. However, Uttarakhand Police had launched ‘Mission Maryada’ for keeping an eye on such tourists.