Dehradun: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan visited the Disaster Control Room at IT Park on Saturday to review the arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra. During the meeting, he directed the concerned District Magistrates to further strengthen the travel and management arrangements.
The Chief Secretary said that ensuring smooth and safe darshan for pilgrims at all four shrines is the administration’s top priority. For this, better coordination among the district administration, BKTC, and other stakeholders is essential. He also instructed officials to ensure smooth night-time darshan arrangements, as done in previous years, in case of an increase in crowd levels.
He directed that the holding areas established in the lower regions of the travel routes be activated immediately, with facilities such as drinking water, toilets, food, medical services, and other basic amenities made available there. Keeping the monsoon season in mind, he also instructed all districts to remain fully prepared in advance.
Considering the possibility of heavy rainfall and landslides, the Chief Secretary directed officials to prepare evacuation plans beforehand. He also asked the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board and related agencies to stay fully prepared for emergency situations, including airlift operations if required.
He instructed all districts to maintain adequate stocks of ration, medicines, and other essential supplies. Special emphasis was also laid on health check-ups along with registration for the Char Dham Yatra.
The Chief Secretary further directed that people above 60 years of age, small children, and pilgrims suffering from serious illnesses should be advised to take precautions during the journey and postpone their travel if necessary. He also called for large-scale public awareness and publicity regarding this advisory.
The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Shailesh Bagauli, Sachin Kurve, Vinay Shankar Pandey, along with District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police from the concerned districts.
