Sinking Joshimath: Pilgrims' concern over Char Dham Yatra

Visakhapatnam: Will Char Dham Yatra be possible this year? As the subsidence-hit Joshimath being the key gateway to religious destinations and tourist expeditions, concerns are expressed by tourists even as travel operators exude confidence that it is too early to draw conclusions on the impact of sinking Joshimath on Char Dham Yatra and that there would not be any change in the tourist footfall per se. The popular pilgrimage circuit means crores of revenue generation. As per Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Managing Director and DG Information Bansidhar Tiwari, Rs 40 crore revenue was generated till August for the year 2022. Also, Heli companies made brisk business to the tune of Rs 85 crore, horse-mules business generated above Rs 100 crore during the period.

Emphasising the need to take up a proper geophysical survey, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA) K Vijay Mohan from Visakhapatnam says, "I think a thorough geophysical survey on the sinking Joshimath would provide answers for several concerns raised. Eventually, the survey gains prominence before any conclusion is drawn as Joshimath is a crucial gateway to a host of significant Hindu and Sikh shrines."

About alternate plans in place, the TTAA president says, "As far as the Char Dham Yatra is concerned, even if Joshimath remains closed owing to land subsidence, we can plan for the night halt at Guptakashi, proceed via Phata and Chamoli before heading towards Badrinath without entering Joshimath."

Allaying apprehensions of increased costs if any, the tour operators assert that the cost would remain the same for the tour packages and so is the route except that a bypass alternative route would be considered to avoid Joshimath.

In 2022, close to 60,000 tourists went for Char Dham Yatra from different parts of Andhra Pradesh, including Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Rayalaseema region. Recalling his experience of the yatra last year, 64-year-old Kadimisetty Veerraju, a retired employee of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, says, "With Joshimath being the base camp then, we stayed there overnight before proceeding further. But keeping the current scenario in view, the distance covered skipping Joshimath may become longer and tedious as the pilgrims had to pass through single-lane ghat roads that cover most part of the journey."

Some of the pilgrims opine that in case of life-threatening risks, the government would not allow them for the yatra.

According to the tours and travel operators, approximately one lakh people from Telugu states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) go for Char Dham Yatra and the figure includes all modes of transport.

With a host of highly streamlined packages in the offing, travellers book accommodation well in advance though travel operators.

Currently, the travel operators do not express any concern over the drop in tourists' footfall. "As of now, we don't see any shift in the enquiries that trickle in for the advance bookings of Char Dham Yatra. Given the Union government's proactive corrective measures, we don't think there will be any disruption in the tourists' flow to Char Dham Yatra this year," explains Alapati Krishna Mohan, Managing Director of Southern Travels Private Limited from Delhi.

In the past 45 years, the MD of Southern Travels Private Ltd shares that the demand for Char Dham Yatra has not seen a dip and this year too, he says, adding that it would stay intact. "Unless the government imposes restrictions, there will not be any change in the inflow of tourists. When we recently connected with the tour operators in the Himalayan region, they made it clear that things are improving at a faster pace. The advance bookings for the yatra would start anytime soon," he conveys.

Even as some of the tour operators in Telangana are unsure of any alternative routes, operators in AP express hope that the government would come up with a viable solution by the time the season picks up.

With tentative plans in place for the time being for Char Dham Yatra, skipping Joshimath from the circuit, its successful execution largely depends on the development, gravity and spread of the prevailing fragile ecosystem in the Himalayan region and the magnitude of its damage en route the yatra. Apparently, if the government grants permission, the yatra would take place at the travellers' risk.