PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Inspector General of Garhwal range, Rajeev Swaroop said that Uttarakhand Police have made extensive preparations to tackle monsoon-related challenges along the Char Dham routes. He informed that 38 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been strategically deployed across the Yatra routes and additional police personnel have been stationed near 58 landslide-prone and vulnerable locations.
He said that the precautionary deployment is part of a coordinated effort to ensure the safety of pilgrims during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, which sees lakhs of devotees travelling to the shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri during the summer and monsoon seasons. Swaroop stated that the police are working in close coordination with departments including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO). He said that several Char Dham routes often face road closures due to frequent landslides during the monsoon and to reduce such risks, landslide mitigation work, including slope cutting and installation of wire meshing, has also been carried out in collaboration with departments and agencies concerned. “We have ensured that these agencies have completed most of the critical road maintenance works and are on standby to respond swiftly in case of road blockages or other rain-triggered issues,” he said.
All respective police in-charges have also been directed to halt the pilgrims at the identified places in Srinagar, Chamba, Rishikesh, Herbertpur and Haridwar if required during monsoon. The IG said that Char Dham control room is also operational 24/7 and real-time weather and road condition updates are also being shared with pilgrims through police help desks and social media platforms. He has also directed all district police in-charges to regularly monitor fake news or misleading posts circulated on social media regarding Char Dham Yatra at the district level and take the necessary action accordingly. “Safety of the pilgrims is our top priority. We are on alert 24×7 and request all visitors to cooperate with local authorities and follow weather updates to avoid inconvenience,” Swaroop added.
