All Arrangements Must Be Completed a Week in Advance for Chardham Yatra: CM Dhami
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed that all necessary preparations for the Chardham Yatra be completed at least a week in advance to ensure a safe, smooth and well-organized pilgrimage. He also appealed to all devotees to complete their registration before embarking on the journey.
Chairing a traffic management meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of timely arrangements to avoid the challenges faced in previous years. He stressed the need for comprehensive planning, particularly regarding parking, traffic and safety infrastructure along the Yatra routes.
Key Instructions Issued by the CM:
Pre-Yatra Readiness: All logistical and safety arrangements must be finalized a week before the journey starts.
Parking Facilities: Parking should be set up near accommodations such as hotels, dharamshalas and homestays.
Slot Management System: Further improvements should be made for better crowd control at the Dhams.
Surveillance: CCTV cameras must be installed at sensitive spots, with real-time monitoring in high-traffic areas.
Public Information: Real-time updates on traffic jams and weather conditions should be shared via social media and other platforms. Parking availability should be integrated with Google Maps.
Registration: Devotees must register before undertaking the Yatra—60% of registrations will be online and 40% offline.
The CM also emphasized coordination among all stakeholders involved in Yatra operations. Information on government preparations should be shared widely, and feedback from stakeholders should be taken seriously. He urged authorities to strengthen alternate routes and develop temporary parking facilities in coordination with local residents.
Additional Measures Directed:
Police help desks to be set up along the Yatra route.
Drone surveillance and essential equipment deployment in disaster-prone and high-altitude areas.
Installation of crash barriers where needed.
Intensive vehicle checks, with a focus on fitness and roadworthiness.
Adequate signage and information boards to guide travelers.
Preparations Shared by DGP Deepam Seth:
DGP Deepam Seth outlined the security and traffic measures planned for this year’s Yatra. Last year, over 48 lakh devotees completed the pilgrimage safely. For 2025, the arrangements include:
Security Deployment: 50 police stations, 79 reporting posts, 38 temporary posts, and 5,850 personnel.
Traffic Planning: Three-tier traffic plans tailored to manage vehicle flow and jam situations.
Control and Monitoring: A Chardham Control Room has been set up under IG Garhwal Range, with SP Traffic Dehradun as in-charge. A dedicated Chardham Cell will also operate from police headquarters.
Zonal Division: The route has been divided into 15 super zones, 41 zones, and 137 sectors for better administration.
Infrastructure Improvements:
Identification of 54 bottlenecks, 198 accident-prone areas, 49 black spots, and 66 landslide-prone zones.
130 parking locations have been finalized, accommodating 43,416 small vehicles and 7,855 large vehicles, up from 113 spots last year.
High-Level Participation: The meeting was attended by Vice Chairman Infrastructure Monitoring Council Vishwas Dabur, senior secretaries Shailesh Bagoli, Nitesh Jha, Sachin Kurve, Dr. BVR Purushottam, Dr. Pankaj Pandey, Brijesh Kumar Sant, and other top officials including Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, ADG V Murugeshan, IGs Rajiv Swaroop and Nilesh Anand Bharane, among others.
