Kedarnath still a tall climb for common man due to lack of basic facilities (2024)

Synopsis

19 pilgrims have died so far this year as govt has failed to provide food, shelter & medicine. Netas remain aloof to problems as most take a chopper ride.

Kedarnath still a tall climb for common man due to lack of basic facilities (1)

RUDRAPAYAG/NEW DELHI: More than nineteen pilgrims climbing uphill for a darshan at Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand have died and scores have been forced to sleep in the open in the freezing cold due to lack of basic facilities, including food, lodging, medicines and transport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the shrine on May 3, the day the doors of the temple were opened for pilgrims after the winter break.

Since ministers, legislators and VIPs use the chopper service to reach the shrine- one of Chardhams- they have been completely in the dark about the problems being faced by ordinary pilgrims.

The climb to the shrine from Gauri Kund, Rudrapayag is steeper than pilgrimage centres like Vaishno Devi (in Jammu) and Badrinath (which is located near Kedarnath). While there is a motorable road right up to the shrine in Badrinath, pilgrims have to walk almost 23 kilometres uphill to reach Kedarnath.

The cloudburst on June 16-17, 2013 had devastated the whole area and though four years have passed there is not much improvement. The devastation has increased the distance from Gauri Kund to Kedarnath from 14 km earlier- through Rambaara- to around 23 km now.

Though some pilgrims go on horseback or are carried by coolies, most prefer to walk. Since adequate facilities are missing the climb becomes a severe ordeal. Lack of shelters on the route that is prone to sudden rains, shops for refreshments, and resting places make it a tough journey. Medical facilities are poor and located far from each other. First aid centres for pilgrims- many of whom feel dizzy and nauseated due to the thin oxygen at high altitudes- are scarce. It is even more difficult for senior citizens.

Asked about the measures being taken to alleviate the suffering of Kedarnath pilgrims, newly elected chief minister Trivendra Rawat said the problems have been aggravated as this season has seen a three-fold increase in the number of people visiting the place.

While the administration says up to 4,000 pilgrims can stay near the shrine- there are reportedly three points for lodging- this seems to be a tall claim. Moreover, this appears to be only for the privileged few. Not surprisingly, more than 19 people have died since May 3 and many have been forced to spend the night in the open. Located at an altitude of 3,553 metres, temperature is below zero degrees at Kedarnath after sunset. There are hardly any guest houses at the top and food is also difficult to get even when one is ready to shell out more money.

“Himalayas are known as kachcha (vulnerable to landslides) mountains. There are several sensitive zones and black spots (where landslides can occur) on the way to the shrine,” Rawat told ET. He said the flow of pilgrims is being regulated and they are being allowed to go up only after getting a nod from doctors who conduct medical check-ups at the base.

Medical facilities should be present at a gap of 2 km on the route to the shrine but the administration has failed to ensure this.

The local transport up to Gauri Kund, from where the climb begins, is another challenge for the pilgrims, especially those reaching there from the shrine after sunset.
Several ambitious plans were made for the shrine but have been in a limbo for years due to red tape and apathy of the government.

There are 12 chopper services, including public sector Pawan Hans. But only the well-off can afford them. Rs 10 Crore were set aside for a cable car service but this was put in cold storage. The coolies here are mainly Nepalis and locals have lost out on employment opportunities here. There were several shops on the way up earlier but since the cloudburst, their numbers have fallen.

Rawat has big plans for the state, including the Chardham region, and took up the issue with Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari last month.

He rues that on in 2015-16, a meagre Rs 12.51 Crore were sanctioned by the Centre for maintenance and repairs. One will have to wait and see if the plans take off under his regime.

Kedarnath still a tall climb for common man due to lack of basic facilities (2024)

19 pilgrims have died so far this year as govt has failed to provide food, shelter & medicine. Netas remain aloof to problems as most take a chopper ride.

Read More News on