• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Char Dham Yatra: The Uttarakhand state government data has revealed that 86 people have lost their lives so far due to health-related ailments during the Char Dham yatra which began on May 10. 18 deaths were reported from Badrinath Dham, 42 from Kedarnath Dham, 7 from Gangotri Dham, and 19 from Yamunotri Dham till Wednesday evening, according to the state government data. 117 deaths were reported in 2023 from the opening of the portals of the Char Dham shrines till June 5, of which 40 deaths were reported in Yamunotri and Gangotri while 77 deaths in Kedarnath and Badrinath shrine areas.

Last year, 245 pilgrims died during the Char Dham yatra. Of them, 120 deaths were reported on the Kedarnath Dham route, 46 on the Badrinath route, 30 on the Gangotri Dham route, and 39 on the Yamunotri Dham route.

“The number of deaths during 2023 Char Dham Yatra in May was 96, which has come down considerably in 2024 with 68 deaths reported till May 29 this year due to the effective interventions and up-gradation of our health system by increasing the number of health screening centres, increasing the medical staff on Yatra route to ensure that the elderly pilgrims get prompt medical service in case of any emergency”, said R Rajesh Kumar secretary health department.

READ MORE: RBI MPC Meeting: Central Bank Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged At 6.5%

“We had issued health advisory to all state governments in 12 regional languages requesting the pilgrims prior to start of yatra to carry their health history and acclimatise before embarking on the arduous yatra of Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines”, Kumar added.

“We have increased medical screening by establishing 50 medical screening centres on the route and especially at the registration centres the doctors after assessing the condition advise the highly vulnerable pilgrims not to go further in the pedestrian route while we take an undertaking from those pilgrims who are adamant to continue their yatra and our 104 Swastha Mitras closely monitor them all along the route and provide medicines and other facilities as per requirement”, Vinita Shah, director of Uttarakhand (Health) said.

“We have deployed 80 specialists and 426 doctors on the Yatra route while additional medical staff has also been roped in from the periphery areas of other adjacent districts with all medical facilities available at medical relief posts on the Yatra route”, further stated Vinita Shah.

Himani Ben, a 54-year-old pilgrim from Gujarat praised the medical treatment facilities.

She said, “The medical screening done at the registration centre in Rishikesh indicated that I was having high blood pressure after which the doctors gave me medication and advised to report to medical relief post on the yatra route in Kedarnath so that effective monitoring can be done to keep all medical parameters in check.”

READ MORE: Who is Kulwinder Kaur, CISF Constable Suspended For Slapping Kangana Ranaut?

All About Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra began on May 10 after the portals of all four revered temples were opened on the occasion of ‘Akshay Tritiya’. Large numbers of devotees witnessed the opening of the portals whereas thousands flocked to the shrines to take blessings on the second day of the Yatra.

The Char Dham Yatra, steeped in profound spiritual significance in Hinduism, unfolds a journey of devotion and introspection, traversing the sacred realms of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, culminating in spiritual rejuvenation and divine communion.

Due to the Covid-19 in the year 2020 and 2021, the Char Dham Yatra could not be conducted. In 2021 only 5.29 lakh pilgrims visited the shrines and in 2020 the number stood at 3.30 lakh. However, in 2019 this figure was a massive 34.77 lakh.