Special jawans will be posted on the way to Kedarnath Dham, Yatra to start from 25th April

This year, jawans will also be deployed to monitor horses and mules on the footpath leading to Kedarnath Dham. A large number of pilgrims reach Baba Kedar's abode by riding horses and mules on a 19-km-long walk between Gaurikund, the base camp of Kedarnath temple to Kedarnath. In the meantime, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Mayur Dixit has planned to deploy 20 Prantiya Rakshak Dal jawans on foot to ensure that there is no inhumanity with mules and horses. The District Magistrate shared this information in the meeting organized by Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay regarding the Kedarnath Yatra.

Kedarnath Yatra is starting on 25th April. He told that the jawans will ensure that there is no cruelty to horses and mules on the yatra route and sick and weak horses and mules should not be handled under any circumstances. Dixit said that proper training would be provided to the jawans before they are posted at various yatra halts. Last year, several horses and mules had died during the Kedarnath Yatra and there were allegations that the deaths were caused by their owners overworking them.

During the yatra, which was conducted last year after a gap of two years due to Covid-19, there was a huge rush of devotees to the four dhams, including Kedarnath, and it was alleged that to take advantage of this, the horse-mule owners allegedly gave them enough money. Took more work from them without giving them rest. Taking cognizance of this, Animal Husbandry Minister of Uttarakhand, Saurabh Bahuguna visited Kedarnath and asked the authorities to check it and register an FIR against the handlers for cruelty to horses and mules.