DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered a daily time limit for the movement of horses and mules during the Char Dham Yatra. Along with this, horse operators have also been banned from deploying the animals at night.
The matter came up for hearing on Thursday before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal. Social activists Gauri Maulekhi and Ajay Gautam had filed a PIL stating that 600 horses have died in the Char Dham Yatra so far. This poses a risk of spreading diseases.
After the agreement between the petitioner and the government in the High Court, it has been decided that horses and mules will no longer be used at night in the Char Dham Yatra; they will be loaded as per their capacity. Horses and mules will be circumambulated only once a day along the yatra route, said the court.
The petitioners also told the court that congestion along the Char Dham Yatra is continuously increasing, causing problems of food and shelter for animals and humans. Petitioner Gauri Maulekhi demanded from the court that devotees, horses and mules should be allowed to go ahead in the yatra as per their carrying capacity.
Meanwhile, heavy rains, landslides and water-logging continued to block roads. The Chief Minister conducted an aerial survey of the state on Friday to take stock of the situation. Traffic on the Delhi-Dehradun highway was disrupted for nearly eight hours after a portion of the road collapsed near Mohand. Meanwhile, the State Meteorological Department has issued a red alert of heavy rains for Tehri and Pauri, including the capital Dehradun. Issuing an orange alert for the remaining districts, the meteorological centre has cautioned tourists and pilgrims coming towards Uttarakhand to remain alert.
In Rudraprayag, the State Disaster Response Force recovered the bodies of five people who were buried alive after heavy landslides and debris from a hill in Tarsali area of Rudraprayag district. The Meteorological Department has issued a new red alert of heavy rains in most districts of Uttarakhand till August 14.
State Disaster Response Force Commandant Manikant Mishra said a landslide occurred in Tarsali area under Rudraprayag district on Thursday night, in which the vehicle was feared buried. Since Friday morning, the SDRF team was continuously engaged in the search operation. The rescue operation had to be halted due to torrential rains and stone-falling from the hills. Due to the rise in the water level of the Ganga, Laxman Jhula, Swargashram, Ganga ghats and banks in Tapovan area were submerged.