“Our top priority is pilgrims’ safety”: Uttarakhand CM Dhami on Char Dham, Kanwar Yatra

“Our top priority is pilgrims’ safety”: Uttarakhand CM Dhami on Char Dham, Kanwar Yatra

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that the Char Dham Yatra is being stopped intermittently, keeping in mind the safety of pilgrims as the state continues to face heavy rainfall and landslides.”It has been raining in many places for the last 2-3 days. Rainfall has been reported in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli. The water level is also rising, and landslides have occurred in some places. In view of this, the Yatra has to be stopped intermittently depending on the situation. Our top priority is the safety of our pilgrims,” CM Dhami told reporters.He further said the state administration is conducting the Kanwar Yatra smoothly.”The Kanwar Yatra is also going on, and all necessary arrangements have been made for it,” Dhami added.Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, Vikas Tyagi, said the current water level of the Ganges at Haridwar is above the warning level but has not yet reached the danger mark.

“Since water levels upstream continue to rise, the volume of water may increase further. However, there is no cause for alarm at the moment, as the situation is completely under control,” he said. Emphasising that the government is fully prepared to handle any situation, he said information is being regularly shared with the downstream plains.”Separate flood management divisions and nodal officers have been designated, and every district has its own disaster management system. The government is fully prepared to handle any situation that may arise,” he said.