DEHRADUN: With chardham yatra beginning for locals on July 1, additional Covid vaccine doses were made available on Saturday to Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts where the four Himalayan temples are located.
Additional doses were also made available to the Pauri and Tehri districts which are on the way to the four Himalayan shrines.
Additional vaccine doses were made available to these districts on directions of Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat who wants everyone associated with the chardham yatra, including priests, shopkeepers, people running roadside eateries, local residents, pony operators and cab drivers, to be vaccinated on priority, an official release here said.
This is being done for the safety of both pilgrims and those who are likely to come into their contact in the course of the yatra, it said.
Chamoli, where Badrinath temple is located, has been given 5,000 doses, Uttarakashi where Gangotri and Yamunotri are located has got 10,000 doses, and Rudraprayag, where Kedarnath is located, has been given 5,000 doses, the statement said.
Pauri and Tehri districts which are located en route to the Himalayan temples have been given 5,000 vaccine doses each.
The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Friday decided to partially open the chardham yatra for locals (people of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts) from July 1.