2013 in mind, Uttarakhand stocks daily essentials

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government doesn’t want to take any chance this Chardham pilgrimage season. It is stockpiling daily essentials and other utility items to meet any emergency arising out of calamities such as landslides and earthquakes.

All the Chardham shrines in Uttarakhand will keep stocks of firewood, cooking gas, kerosene, foodgrains and public utility material to meet emergency situations that could leave the people stranded at these renowned pilgrimage sites.

In 2013, the Kedarnath shrine was inundated in mud and slush. Several hundreds died in the flashflood which was triggered by a cloudburst.

Several hundreds were injured in the disaaster. More than 70,000 pilgrims were left stranded at the Himalayan shrines and other locations in the state.

As per sources from the tourism department, around three quintals of firewood will be kept in reserve at each of the four pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines. Also, kerosene, LPG and food grains will also be kept in reserve for emergency situations. “The decision was taken to meet the needs during emergency situations like earthquake, rainfalls, landslides, breaking of roads in hill areas. Every shrine and their managements will keep minimum three quintals of firewood in reserve. The forest depart- ment will also provide firewood to them,” tourism minister Satpal Maharaj told HT. “We have fixed the responsibilities for maintenance of roads, particularly the track from Gaurikund to the Kedarnath shrine area.”