Happy tidings for economy; hope, tourists return to state

Dehradun, June 16
Amidst memories of death, and devastation caused by the natural disaster that struck Uttarakhand on this day two years ago, there is hope of revival of normalcy as a large number of pilgrims and tourists have started arriving in the state.

Flash floods that struck the state on June 16 and 17 in 2013 and killed more than 5,000 people, including a large number of Kedarnath pilgrims, devastated public and private infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, colleges, homes and hearths. The damage was severe in Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, and Chamoli districts of the Garhwal region and Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts of the Kumoan region.

Besides death and destruction caused by the disaster, the vulnerability of the hills to the nature’s fury, gave a negative message, resulting in a drastic fall in the tourist inflow. Uttarakhand for the first time after its creation did not figure in the top 10 tourist destinations of the country. It was a bad signal as tourism remained the mainstay of the economy of the state, particularly the Garhwal Himalayas which depend on the Char Dham Yatra to the revered Hindu temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Millions of people from all over the world used to travel to these temples during the summer and a large number of locals were dependent on them for their survival. The deluge not only washed away their homes but also their means of livelihood. The state government focused its attention on rebuilding the infrastructure, particularly on the Char Dham yatra route with specific emphasis on Kedarnath, which had suffered the maximum damage in the flash floods.

Tireless efforts of members of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, which was entrusted with the task of rebuilding and clearing the path to the Kedarnath temple and providing facilities to pilgrims, bore fruit this summer as a large number of pilgrims undertook the Char Dham yatra.

This year, more than 92,417 pilgrims had already visited Kedarnath while 188,326 pilgrims had paid obeisance at the Badrinath temple till June 12, 2015. Last year, 40,922 pilgrims had visited Kedarnath during the entire Char Dham Yatra period, while 150,943 pilgrims visited Badrinath. The number of pilgrims to Yamontri and Gangotri is also rising this year.

The number of tourists to hill stations Mussoorie, Nainital and Almora has also risen. A large number of tourists thronged these places last weekend. Hotels and guest houses at these tourist places registered more than 90 per cent booking. Mussoorie witnessed traffic jams lasting for five to six hours due to the heavy rush of tourists last weekend.

“We are happy that pilgrims and tourists have reposed faith in Uttarakhand. I am hopeful that with the improvement in facilities more people will undertake the Char Dham Yatra and the Hemkund Sahib Yatra,” said Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

Tribune News Service