31 pilgrims died of mountain sickness, other causes amid Char Dham Yatra 2022: Official

On Saturday, a health official in Uttarakhand informed that as many as 31 pilgrims, along with one local resident of Badrinath, lost their lives during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. The pilgrimage in the state started on May 3. The official cited several health problems including mountain sickness and blood pressure as the causes of death.

"So far 31 pilgrims and one local resident of Badrinath have died in the 12 days since the commencement of the Char Dham Yatra. All of them died due to high blood pressure, heart attack, and mountain sickness," Uttarakhand Director-General Health Dr Shailja Bhatt said, according to ANI. On the measures taken for the health of pilgrims, Bhatt said the health screening of the pilgrims are being performed at various points set up on the travel routes.

Earlier, when asked about deaths during Char Dham yatra, Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj of Six Sigma Healthcare, which is providing free medical facilities on the Char Dham Yatra route, told PTI, "They (People) are coming directly from low altitudes to places situated at 10,000-12,000 ft. How can they cope with such an abrupt climatic change? No medical check-up of pilgrims is being done this time before the start of the journey." He further added, "Compulsory health check of pilgrims is a must. Only those who are medically fit to undertake the high-altitude journey should be allowed to go ahead."

No VIP darshan in Char Dham

With an unusually high number of pilgrims flocking to the Char Dham yatra this year, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated on Friday that a standard mechanism for all devotees to offer prayers at the iconic Himalayan temples should be implemented. CM Dhami said, during a meeting with senior officials on the Char Dham Yatra, that the system of VIP darshan at Himalayan temples must be abolished due to the large number of devotees.

"For easy and safe Char Dham Yatra, our government has decided to end VIP Darshan/Line. Now there will be a similar arrangement for all the devotees," CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said in his tweet on Friday. Notably, more than three lakh devotees have visited Char Dham since the start of the yatra with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples on May 3.

The annual Char Dham Yatra began on May 3 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in the Uttarkashi district. Portals of Badrinath Temple opened on May 8. Earlier this month, the state government capped the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams. A total of 15,000 pilgrims will be allowed daily at Badrinath, 12,000 at Kedarnath, 7,000 at Gangotri and 4,000 at Yamunotri. This arrangement has been made for 45 days. Notably, this year, it is not mandatory for pilgrims to carry a negative COVID-19 test report or vaccination certificate.