Dehradun/Rudraprayag, 28 Sep: The second phase of the Char Dham Yatra began on 15 September with expectations of a renewed surge in devotees. It may be recalled that, till yesterday, over 45 lakh pilgrims, including those bound for Hemkund Sahib, had done the Char Dham Yatra. More than 15 lakhs had offered worship at Kedarnath alone. But in contrast to these figures, persistent rainfall, infrastructure damage and calamities along the route have sharply diminished the flow of pilgrims to Kedarnath Dham, resulting in serious distress for the local population dependent on pilgrimage-driven commerce.
Among the calamities, landslides triggered by unrelenting monsoon rains blocked over 100 roads in the state, including critical stretches of the Kedarnath route. One landslide along the Sonprayag–Gaurikund corridor near Mankutia stranded dozens of returning pilgrims and forced temporary suspension of yatra traffic. In another instance, over 2,000 pilgrims had to be evacuated after a massive landslide rendered part of the highway impassable; restoration of that stretch reportedly took several days. At least two pilgrims lost their lives when debris from a hillside had struck a vehicle near the route, and six others were injured, an incident that prompted the officials to suspend the yatra until safety assessments were completed. Meanwhile, helicopter services, already a lifeline for those unable to trek, had been suspended until mid-September following a fatal crash in June that claimed seven lives, resulting in thousands of ticket cancellations and financial losses to operators and pilgrims alike. Continued bad weather also prompted the government to keep chopper services suspended during the monsoon period this year.
In many days during July and August, daily pilgrim numbers plummeted. Where earlier Kedarnath was witnessing over 20,000 visitors a day, numbers slumped to just 4,000 or fewer during peak disruption periods. In mid-season, some days witnessed as low as 10 percent of the expected arrivals reaching the Kedarnath Dham. This shortfall has hit every segment of the pilgrimage economy. The hoteliers, guesthouse operators, roadside stalls, dandi-kandi operators, mule and horse contractors, porters and guides are now reportedly struggling to meet operational costs, and many face mounting debt.
The locals are seeking urgent action in this regard though they are aware that only a few days remain in the yatra season. They want that the government must aggressively promote pilgrimage, extend necessary logistical support, ensure route safety, and reassure devotees of secure travel. Without such measures the final weeks may not compensate for the seasonal losses.
