Chardham route to be split into zones for better pilgrimage management

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The Chardham yatra route has been classified into 15 super zones, 41 zones and 137 sectors for better management of the annual pilgrimage to the four famed Himalayan temples of Uttarakhand, a senior police official said on Saturday.

Inspector General (IG) Garhwal Swaroop on Saturday said more than 6,000 personnel will be deployed along the route to monitor security and transportation arrangements.

Every sector will be spread over a 10-kilometre area, where security personnel will conduct patrolling and perform other duties round the clock, said IG Swaroop, who has been appointed nodal officer for the yatra.

A control room, headed by Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Lokjeet Singh, is being set up at the range office, the IG said, adding that he will personally monitor the security arrangements, traffic, crowd and disaster management preparations.

The Chardham yatra is scheduled to begin on April 30, with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples. Kerdarnath will open on May 2 and Badrinath on May 4.

The IG said yatra control room at the range office will become operational in next five days. A Deputy Superintendent of Police, two inspectors, four sub-inspectors, one head constable and a constable, besides an in-charge officer, will be deployed in the control room, which will work 24x7.

A special desk will also be set up at the control room to coordinate with other departments, he said.

Apart from this, a separate Chardham cell will be formed at the police headquarters under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Dhirendra Gunjyal. This cell will collect information related to the entire yatra.

Officers of Additional Superintendent of Police rank will be appointed as route in-charges. Nine officers will look after the yatra arrangements in their respective jurisdictions.

One Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officer has been made dham in-charge at each of the four temples. These officers will monitor facilities and arrangements for devotees at the temples.

Direct monitoring will also be done from the range and police headquarters levels.

The area under CCTV surveillance has also been increased this year, IG Swaroop said.

The total security deployment will include 24 DSPs, 66 inspectors, 366 sub-inspectors, 615 head constables, 1,222 constables, 208 women constables, 926 home guard jawans, 1,049 PRD jawans, nine companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and 26 teams of the State Disaster Relief Force.

The IG said traffic director has already started field inspection with his team. A blue print for the traffic system along the route has been prepared, he said.

On the lines of Rishikesh transit camp, arrangements for the stay of pilgrims to Yamunotri-Gangotri Dhams will be made at Vikasnagar area, under the supervision of the SP there.

A welfare officer will be appointed at the Chardham control room to take care of the food, accommodation and other facilities of the police officers and other support teams, he added.