In response to an overwhelming surge in registrations ahead of the Chardham Yatra, the Uttarakhand government has increased the online registration limit from 60 per cent to 75 per cent. With over 17 lakh devotees already signed up even before the yatra begins, the move aims to better manage the large influx of pilgrims expected this season.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, who met with hoteliers from key districts along the route—Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli—to review preparations for the pilgrimage that begins on April 30.
Hoteliers had urged the administration to raise the digital registration limit and to set up more registration counters along the yatra routes. Acting on these suggestions, the administration has approved the establishment of new counters in strategic locations: Gauchar for Badrinath Dham, Heena and Uttarkashi for Gangotri Dham, Dobata and Damta for Yamunotri Dham, and Guptkashi for Kedarnath Dham.
Offline registration is scheduled to commence on April 25. According to the latest figures, Kedarnath has seen the highest number of online registrations with over 6.5 lakh devotees, followed by Badrinath (5.8 lakh), Gangotri (3.4 lakh), and Yamunotri (3.1 lakh).
The Chardham Yatra will officially begin with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri on April 30, followed by Kedarnath on May 2 and Badrinath on May 4.
To ensure safety and preparedness, a state-level mock drill will be conducted on April 24 under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA). Seven districts—Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, and Haridwar—will participate in this exercise, which will test the readiness of various departments under the Incident Response System (IRS).
Garhwal Commissioner Pandey urged hoteliers and stakeholders to cooperate with the administration to ensure a smooth, safe, and well-organised yatra for all devotees.
(With inputs from other sources)
