PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Taking cognizance of the increase in number of devotees at Kainchi Dham in Nainital district and traffic problems, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed authorities to prepare immediate, mid-term and long-term plans to tackle the problem. He gave the order while chairing a high-level meeting at his residence on Thursday.
He said immediate measures should be taken to manage the traffic and crowd for this year’s fair while a permanent and robust management system should be developed through mid-term and long-term plans for the future.
He also directed that road cutting work on a three kilometre patch between Sanatorium to Bhowali petrol pump should be completed on a war footing, so that the traffic system can be further improved.
The district magistrate of Nainital Vandana Singh informed that the number of devotees visiting the Kainchi Dham fair is increasing rapidly every year. The visitor footfall has jumped to about 24 lakh from about eight lakh in recent years. She added the number of devotees is expected to increase further this year.
Singh said that the holding capacity of Kainchi Dham is low and many times more devotees than the capacity visit the shrine during the fair. She added this year 2.5 to three lakh devotees are expected to visit the shrine during the fair.
DM informed that a systematic plan has been prepared for traffic management and crowd control. She suggested implementing a registration system for the devotees coming to Kainchi Dham in future and setting a maximum limit, so that the journey can be made safe, well-organized and smooth.
The Kainchi Dham fair is held on June 15 every year.
