Dehradun: Union Minister for Water Resources Harish Rawat on Friday said a lot still needs to be done to improve the conditions in Kedar valley which bore the brunt of the mid-June calamity in Uttarakhand.
Rawat, who reached Kedarnath by road to pay obeisance there when yatra to the Himalayan shrine will resume after its protracted suspension in the wake of the calamity, said though a lot has been done, lot more needs to be done to improve the conditions in the area.
The Union Minister, who traversed a distance of 26 km on foot along with 150 supporters to reach the high altitude temple said, he will soon submit a detailed report to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna suggesting measures needed to make the annual pilgrimage to the shrine more secure.
He, however, underlined the need for construction of a better and more secure trek route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath and lodging arrangements in its immediate neighbourhood to accommodate at least 4,000 pilgrims at the shrine during the yatra season and said, he had shared his suggestions with officials engaged in rebuilding efforts in the area.
Rawat will make a halt at the shrine tonight and return from there after paying obeisance tomorrow.
With the portals of the famed temple set to close in November for the winters, emphasis now should be on how to make the pilgrimage more secure for devotees next year, he said, adding Uttarakhand is gradually recovering from the effects of the tragedy and one of the objectives of his visit to Kedarnath is to give a message to the country that life is getting back on track in the rain-ravaged state.
PTI
