Stakeholders slam Govt’s ‘experimental’ approach to Char Dham Yatra, demand focus on ground-level issues
PURNIMA BISHT | Dehradun
Despite the State government’s repeated claims of enhancing preparations for the Char Dham Yatra this year, several stakeholders including local residents involved in businesses related to pilgrimage have criticised the administration for merely conducting random experiments instead of resolving the persistent ground-level issues.
According to them, essential problems such as traffic mismanagement and damaged routes continue to plague the Yatra experience. Many believe that excessive restrictions and formalities are futile if pilgrims cannot reach their destinations on time. They claimed that too many rules will not help if the roads remain blocked and those travelling to the shrines are stuck for hours. Many urged the government to prepare a robust three-month plan dedicated to the Yatra period, as these are the peak months for both tourism and pilgrimage.
A resort owner in Rishikesh, Prabhat Aswal said that every year, the same issues crop up from traffic chaos, miscommunication, poor infrastructure and yet, nothing meaningful gets done. “Last weekend, it took people just four hours to reach Rishikesh from Delhi but it took them another three to four hours to reach their final destination within Rishikesh itself. That’s how bad the traffic was. When the police cannot manage the traffic, they simply put up ‘No-Entry’ signs and reroute vehicles randomly. Why would tourists want to come back after such a terrible experience? Last year, the authorities blamed unregistered tourists for the congestion but the truth is, they fail to manage it every time. The government just needs to fix traffic management. That is the key to a smooth Char Dham Yatra. Everything else will fall into place once that is handled,” he opined.
The Uttarakhand Char Dham Hotel Association recently urged the government to remove the hill endorsement test requirement for commercial drivers from other States, claiming that it hampers the smooth flow of pilgrims. They also called for the elimination of the gate and barrier systems and RTO checkpoints along the route, arguing that these create unnecessary delays. However, the president of the Uttarakhand Taxi Maxi Mahasangh Sundar Singh Panwar defended the hill endorsement requirement. “We worked hard to ensure the government made hill endorsements mandatory for all commercial drivers operating during the Yatra. It is not safe to let untrained drivers operate here. We also asked to reduce the validity of permits for outside drivers to 15 days instead of six months, so they do not overstay and affect the livelihood of local drivers. Soon, an order will be issued as per which outside drivers’ hill endorsement will be limited to only 15 days,” he said.
Panwar also opposed removing checkpoints saying that without police posts, crime and violations will increase. “This Yatra is our main source of livelihood but we cannot be so selfish that we ignore safety concerns,” he said. However, the general secretary of the Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat Brijesh Sati said that the Char Dham Hotel Association is not against safety rules, they just want the government to focus on real issues. He stated, “Every year we see the same problems, broken roads, traffic jams and the government treats the Yatra like an annual experiment. This pilgrimage has been going on for centuries. It used to be undertaken by the elderly seeking moksha, and now, they are being asked to get medical fitness certificates, carry medical kits and register on multiple websites. It gets overwhelming. These complicated processes put psychological pressure on pilgrims even before they begin their journey. And when these pilgrims finally reach here, they get stuck in long traffic jams for hours. It is frustrating. We just want the government to keep it simple and fix the basics first.”
Sati also claimed, “In 2023, around 55 lakh pilgrims came to Yatra and in 2024, this number dropped to 46 lakh, a decrease of about nine lakh. But if you count actual ground-level movement, only about 20 lakh sole pilgrims came last year, because no one comes to visit just one Dham. If we do not address the basics, this number will continue to decline.” The stakeholders called on the State government to prioritise practical, on-ground reforms over bureaucratic hurdles to ensure that the Char Dham Yatra remains a spiritually fulfilling and smoothly managed experience for all.
