Char Dham Yatra: The registration figure for the Char Dham Yatra surged past 26 lakh, marking a significant milestone between April 15 and May 13. Meanwhile, the influx of pilgrims in the last four days alone has exceeded two lakhs. Devotees from various parts of the country and abroad are converging for the Char Dham Yatra. An official stated that over 26 lakh pilgrims have registered in the state so far since the commencement of the Chardham registration process on April 15.
The state government and the tourism department are working diligently to provide every possible facility to the pilgrims. All the officers are seriously following the guidelines issued by the government, he added. Long queues of devotees are lining up for darshan at the Dhams. Online registrations for the Yatra in May to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri Dham have been fully booked, with a fixed number of slots available for online registration. To accommodate devotees who arrive without prior registration, the state government and the tourism department have organised offline registration facilities in Haridwar and Rishikesh for their convenience.
Gangotri Yatra route grapples with traffic nightmare
Due to the implementation of the gate system, arrangements along the Yamunotri route appear to be functioning smoothly, but challenges have arisen along the Gangotri route. The traffic situation has deteriorated due to a higher influx of passengers exceeding the capacity. Approximately 900 passenger vehicles were trapped in a traffic jam spanning about 60 km between Gangnani and Gangotri on the Gangotri Yatra route.
From Sunday night until Monday evening, traffic moved sluggishly from Gangnani to Harshil, with passenger numbers remaining high. In response to the escalating situation, the police intervened by halting vehicles at various points such as Uttarkashi, Bhatwadi, Shiv Gufa, and Nagun Barrier in the afternoon, thereby alleviating the pressure of vehicles heading towards Gangotri.
Devotees forced to return back
Furthermore, many devotees caught in the traffic congestion opted to return from Uttarkashi without completing their darshan. Notably, last Sunday's jam on the Yamunotri Yatra route prompted hundreds of pilgrims to divert towards Gangotri Dham. Passengers began reaching Gangotri via alternative routes such as Bernigad and Radi Top bypass starting from Damla.
With an influx of pilgrims surpassing the capacity, the situation in the Ganga Valley began deteriorating from Sunday night onwards. Vehicles became ensnared in the congestion along the 60 km stretch from Gangnani to Harshil on the Gangotri Highway. The situation was exacerbated when passengers from halts like Uttarkashi and Bhatwadi also started journeying towards Gangotri Dham in the early hours of Monday.
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