NEW DELHI, Sept 16: Roads has been cleared for resumption of the “Chaar Dham Yatra” in Uttarakhand with the High Court vacating its stay but imposing restrictions on the number of pilgrims to be allowed in the four famous pilgrim centres on each day.
Though the time left for the “Yatra” was very limited as the advent of winter will stop the pilgrimage, the High Court decision will come as a big relief for a large number of local population, including the priests, solely depended on the income from roughly six months of the pilgrimage in a year.
Vacating its stay, the Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday directed the state government to conduct the pilgrimage with strict adherence to Covid-19 norms. Lifting the ban on the Yatra, division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma said the pilgrimage will start with restrictions like a daily limit on the number of devotees visiting the temples.
Carrying a negative Covid-19 test report and a vaccination certificate will also be mandatory for the visitors, the court said.
Putting a daily cap on the number of devotees visiting the famous Himalayan temples, the high court said 800 pilgrims would be allowed in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri every day. Pilgrims will not be allowed to take a bath in any of the springs around the temples, it said.
Police force will be deployed as per requirements during the Char Dham Yatra in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts. The court order comes as a big relief to the state government which was under pressure from various quarters to start the pilgrimage with which the livelihoods of lakhs of people including travel agents are linked.
With the Covid-19 situation being uncertain, the court had on June 28 put a stay on the state Cabinet’s decision to start the Char Dham Yatra in a limited way for the residents of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts where the temples are located.
It had plans to open up the Yatra in a phased manner for pilgrims from outside the state depending on the Covid-19 situation. The state government then approached the Supreme Court to vacate the high court’s stay on the Yatra. As the matter was pending in the apex court, the high court initially refused to hear its repeat plea till the state government withdrew last week its Special Leave Petition (SLP) from the Supreme Court against the high court’s stay order.
Advocate General SN Babulkar and Chief Standing Advocate CS Rawat, appearing for the government, requested the High Court that the ban be removed to restore the livelihood of the local people. The advocate general said there is an earning period of the Char Dham Yatra and if the season passes, many families will suffer huge losses. The advocate general further pleaded that the initial worry of the Court while imposing the ban has been addressed and there has been a significant improvement in health services and the government also assured the Court that there would be strict adherence to the Covid-19 SOP for the Yatra.
(Manas Dasgupta)