The Char Dham Yatra has barely begun and there are already reports of overcrowding and deficiencies in services. There are traffic jams all along the route, and pilgrims are having to wait for hours at great inconvenience. If this is the situation, now, one can only imagine what the case will be when the Yatra is in full swing.
A lot of claims were made about this year’s Yatra – the many arrangements in place for its smooth running. The sophistication level presented went up to even installing ‘Health ATMs’ for the pilgrims’ convenience (even if the technicians required for their functioning were unavailable). All the planning had culminated in the decision to limit the number of pilgrims per day, but at the very last moment – under pressure from the priests – the ‘grand’ decision was taken by the Chief Minister to do away with it. So, much for the planning and respect for the thought process behind it in the very person who holds the ultimate responsibility.
All of this is, of course, a recipe for disaster. Hopefully, the Gods will preserve and protect the Yatra, because the government doesn’t seem up to it. It is one thing to make promises and grand announcements, but there has to be the capacity to deliver. If one cannot, then it is better to maintain a low profile and try and actually do the best one can.
Everything is not politics. Popularity obtained through mere image projection is invariably short-lived. When the stakes are as high as during the Yatra, and considering the long list of disasters that have taken place in the past, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Hopefully, corrective measures will be taken as soon as possible, beginning with limiting the number of pilgrims. It is not necessary to make a big deal of it, just implement it on the ground. It can be seen that, despite the weather advisory asking people to plan their journey for after 5 May, it is not serving as a deterrent. Stricter measures will have to be taken.
Then there are mistakes that are repeated year after year, with no lessons learned. A primary one is the lack of ability among out of state drivers to negotiate the hills roads. The least that can be done is to prepare and provide them booklets explaining the essentials of hill driving. Even simple advice like not overtaking at a turn can save lives.
The news reports coming in at the present are not encouraging. The time for the administration to correct the situation is now!
