Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 12 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today directed officials to formulate immediate, medium-term, and long-term plans for the management of the Kainchi Dham Mela, keeping in view its increasing scale and to ensure convenience of devotees. Chairing a high-level meeting at his official residence, the Chief Minister emphasised that immediate steps must focus on improving current arrangements, while medium and long-term strategies should aim at establishing a permanent and robust management system for the fair.
Dhami also instructed that the road-cutting work on the approximately three-kilometre stretch from the Sanatorium to beyond Bhowali Petrol Pump be completed on a war footing in order to streamline traffic movement during the mela period.
Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh apprised the meeting that the number of devotees visiting the renowned Kainchi Dham Mela is rising sharply every year. She stated that nearly 24 lakh devotees visited Kainchi Dham in the past year, compared to an average of 8 lakh in previous years. Vandana Singh further stated that Kainchi Dham has a limited carrying capacity, and during the fair, the number of devotees often exceeds this limit. This year, the administration expects an estimated 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh devotees, for which a comprehensive plan has been put in place to manage traffic and crowd control. She suggested the introduction of a registration system and a cap on the number of devotees allowed at Kainchi Dham in future editions of the mela, to ensure a safe, organised, and smooth pilgrimage experience for all.
It is worth noting that the famous Kainchi Dham Mela is scheduled to commence on 15 June, and the district administration is working diligently to ensure that all necessary arrangements are in place, so that devotees do not face any inconvenience.
Among those present at the meeting included Principal Secretaries RK Sudhanshu and R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli and Vinay Shankar Pandey, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) AP Anshuman, and, through virtual mode, IG Kumaon Ridhim Agarwal and SSP Nainital PS Meena.
