Uttarakhand: Disaster management authority conducts mock drill for Char Dham Yatra

A mock drill was conducted here on Thursday to assess the preparations for the Char Dham Yatra that is scheduled to begin with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples for devotees on April 30.

The seven districts through which the yatra passes were involved in the exercise to test the preparedness on the ground, Vice Chairman, State Advisory Committee, Disaster Management department, Vinay Kumar Ruhela said.

The mock drill will help make the preparations for the yatra more robust and foolproof, he added.

It was organised by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) under the close supervision of the National Disaster Management Authority, Ruhela said.

The objective of the mock drill was to bring all the departments involved in the pilgrimage on one platform, so that any disaster and emergency situation during the yatra can be dealt with effectively.

"We have been successful to a great extent in this objective," Ruhela said.

Good coordination and synergy was seen between the departments concerned, he said, adding that certain shortcomings were also found during the exercise and those will be rectified by the departments before the yatra begins.

The four famed Himalayan temples of Uttarakhand on the yatra route are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.