DEHRADUN: Helicopter shuttle services to Kedarnath received an overwhelming response ahead of the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra, with 8,896 pilgrims booking seats within an hour of reservations opening for September 15-30.
The bookings covered 2,926 tickets for the 16-day period as the Uttarakhand government stepped up preparations for the post-monsoon phase of the pilgrimage.
Prateek Jain, Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, said helicopter services to Kedarnath had remained suspended since June 25 due to the monsoon.
“After receiving permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, helicopter services will resume from the Guptkashi, Sirsi and Phata helipads on September 15,” Jain said.
“Bookings for September 15 to 30 opened on September 7 and were completed within an hour. A total of 8,896 pilgrims booked their journey through 2,926 tickets,” he added.
The government has directed all helicopter operators to install satellite-based tracking devices to monitor flights this season.
Officials said heavy rain had damaged roads, triggered landslides and created potholes on several routes. The health, public works, civil aviation and other departments have been asked to ensure safe and smooth travel for pilgrims.
The Char Dham Yatra began on April 19 with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples. Kedarnath and Badrinath witnessed heavy pilgrim footfall during the initial weeks, but the numbers dropped to about 12,000 a day after the onset of the monsoon in late June.
More than 50.4 lakh devotees had visited the four shrines by Sunday, with nearly two months of the pilgrimage season still remaining.
Transport Minister Pradeep Batra said repair work on rain-damaged roads, accident-prone stretches and crash barriers was underway.
“The shuttle bus services operated during the opening phase of the pilgrimage will continue. Buses will run from the Char Dham Transit Camp in Rishikesh,” he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed all departments to complete tendering and road repair work by September 15.
“Roads must be repaired at the earliest. With the festive season approaching and the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra beginning, movement will increase considerably. All departments must ensure that roads are restored on time and travel remains safe,” Dhami said