Rishikesh: The Chardhan Yatra Administration Organisation (CYAO) on Sunday suspended the registration of pilgrims for the Kedarnath yatra in Rishikesh and Haridwar due to rain and snowfall in the upper reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas. The registration would remain suspended till April 30, though the Kedarnath Dham will be reopened for public viewing public on Tuesday.
Additional commissioner (administration) of Garhwal division and additional chief executive officer of CYAO Narendra Singh Kaviriyal said that registration had been suspended due to the bad weather and heavy snowfall in Rishikesh and Hardwar.
“The government will review the weather conditions in the coming days and accordingly take a decision in the interest of the pilgrims,” he said.
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Mercury had dropped significantly in the region due to incessant rain and snowfall in the upper reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas. The manpower engaged in clearing the sheet of snow from the footpaths is facing umpteen difficulties, said an official spokesman, urging the people to check weather conditions before resuming yatra.
The pilgrims have also been advised to keep enough quantity of warm cloths before proceeding on the pilgrimage. The government also said that due to the weather, the pilgrims might have to face all sorts of problems during the yatra. However, adequate medical arrangements have been made along all the yatra routes, it said.
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Reiterating the government’s commitment to ensure smooth and safe travel for all those on the pilgrimage, the official said that all kinds of arrangement are being made to ensure interruption free journey. “We are monitoring the situation very closely,” he said.
The officials said that registration of pilgrims for the other three dhams such as Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri would continue. While the shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri opened on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on Saturday, the Badrinath Dham will open on April 27.
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More than 16 lakh people from India and abroad have registered for the Chardham Yatra, according to officials.
