DEHRADUN: Helicopter services at Kedarnath were affected on Saturday after traders staged a sit-in at the helipad to protest the removal of temporary shops along the route to the temple.
A large group of traders gathered at the helipad after an administrative team, accompanied by police, began clearing the roadside stalls. The protesters demanded talks with officials and stood firm at the site as the administration tried to resolve the standoff.
The traders said the temporary stalls had long been their source of livelihood and that earnings during the pilgrimage season were crucial to supporting their families. They said the removal drive had left them facing an uncertain financial future.
District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said encroachments along the temple route were obstructing the movement of pilgrims and creating difficulties for reconstruction work underway at Kedarnath.
“We are trying to explain the situation to the traders,” Mishra said, adding that officials were working to address their concerns.
According to accounts from the shrine, the dispute began when the administrative team reached the temple route on Saturday and started removing stalls operated by local traders. Angered by the action, the traders moved to the helipad and staged the sit-in.
The traders called for discussions on their demands before the matter was taken further. Officials held talks with them in an effort to restore normal operations, but the standoff remained unresolved.