Chardham Yatra 2024: Situation calms down in Yamunotri due to closure of offline registration, wait ongoing in Gangotri
Category : Latest News |
Posted on 18 May 2024
Since the opening of doors, tremendous enthusiasm of pilgrims is being seen in Char Dham. There is a huge crowd of devotees in Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham also. After pilgrims were stopped in Rishikesh and Haridwar, the situation appeared to be under control on Yamunotri National Highway. On the other hand, the wait for the traffic system to be back on track on Gangotri National Highway continues.
After closure of offline registration, strict action against those going to the Char Dham without registration, and stopping of pilgrims in Rishikesh and Haridwar, the situation on Yamunotri National Highway appeared to be under control.
However, due to the one-way gate system on the 35 km narrow route between Jankichatti and Paligad, the last road stop of Yamunotri Dham, pilgrims still have to wait for five to seven hours to proceed further.
On the other hand, the wait for the traffic system to be back on track on Gangotri National Highway continues. Even now devotees are taking more than 12 hours to cover the 100 km distance between Uttarkashi and Gangotri Dham. There is a one-way gate system at various places on this highway between Gangnani and Bhairav Valley, where the vehicles of pilgrims are being stopped.
Tremendous enthusiasm seen from pilgrims
Since the opening of the doors, tremendous enthusiasm of pilgrims is being seen in Char Dham . There is a huge crowd of devotees in Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham also. For this reason, handling the traffic on the highways connecting both the Dhams remains a challenge for the police-administration. To deal with this, one-way gate system has been implemented at many places on the highways.
Despite this, the situation was not under control even after a week of the commencement of the yatra. Due to this, the government stopped offline registration from Wednesday. Apart from this, to reduce the vehicular pressure on both the highways, vehicles of pilgrims going to Gangotri-Yamunotri are being stopped in Rishikesh and Haridwar. The result was that only 125 vehicles of pilgrims reached the Damta barrier on Yamunotri National Highway from morning to 3 pm on Friday.
There were about two thousand pilgrims among them, whom the police sent towards Barkot. Due to reduction in the pressure of vehicles, the traffic system on the highway remained smooth. It rained in Yamunotri Dham and Jankichatti area in the evening. Due to this, the pilgrims returning after darshan had to face a lot of trouble on the footpath.
On the other hand, pilgrims are still facing hours of traffic jam on Gangotri National Highway. There is pressure of vehicles between Gangnani and Gangotri Dham. Vehicles are being stopped under one-way gate system in Gangnani, Songad, Sukki, Jhala, Kopang and Bhairav Valley.
Strictness remains on those going without registration
Police-administration continues to remain strict on those who approach Gangotri-Yamunotri Dham without registration. On Friday, more than 500 such pilgrims were returned from Uttarkashi. Earlier on Thursday also, more than a thousand pilgrims going to Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham without registration were turned back from Damta (Yamunotri Highway) and Nagun (Gangotri Highway) barriers. Some passengers stayed overnight near the Damta barrier in the hope of permission, but had to return in the morning.
Also Read: Helpline support for devotees on Yamunotri and Gangotri highway amid traffic problems.
