Dehradun, May 04: Uttaranchal government plans to open the routes for the famous 'chardhams', including the Badrinath shrine yatra, round the year, an official release said today. "The government, with the help of the Centre, is trying to explore the possibility of opening the yatra routes for 'chardhams', comprising Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, situated in Garhwal Himalayas, throughout the year, so that tourists could visit the places even in winter," it quoted Chief Minister N D Tiwari as saying after flagging off eight buses to the 'chardham' at the holy town of Rishikesh. A snowcutter worth Rs five crore has already been arranged so that yatra routes can be opened for traffic after frequent snow-falls during the winter, he said. The shrines could be opened for a maximum period, Tiwari said, adding a decision in this regard would be taken only after consultations with people from all sections. At present, the four shrines remain closed for six months during winter. Gangotri and Yamunotri were reopened today while Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines would reopen on May five and May eight respectively.

With over 12 lakh pilgrims likely to come for the 'chardham' yatra this year, four inspectors, 154 sub-inspectors, 224 head constables, 2027 constables, 1220 home guards and five companies of PAC would be deployed along the yatra route, Tiwari said.

He said 14 medical relief posts with adequate medical staff have been set up.

Bureau Report