The second phase of the Char Dham Yatra has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of pilgrims visiting Badrinath Dham following the monsoon season. However, the growing number of pilgrims is causing traffic jams at several places along the Badrinath National Highway, creating difficulties for devotees.
Long queues of vehicles have been reported at several places along the route between Karnaprayag and Badrinath. Thousands of devotees are arriving in Badrinath to offer prayers at the shrine of Lord Badri Vishal. Traffic is also being affected in areas from the Gopeshwar road near Chamoli to Joshimath and Marwari. With vehicles getting stuck in traffic, pilgrims are taking a considerable amount of time to reach their destinations. The administration had claimed that arrangements for the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra had been streamlined, but the ground reality is raising questions about those claims. The lack of sufficient widening of the road, especially between Joshimath and Marwari, has made it challenging for the police and administration to keep traffic moving smoothly. At the same time, Pitru Paksha is also underway. A large number of devotees are arriving in Badrinath, known as Moksh Dham, to perform Pitru Tarpan and other religious rituals. The influx of pilgrims during the Yatra, coupled with Pitru Paksha, has increased traffic pressure on the roads. Amid the steadily increasing traffic pressure, police and administrative teams are working at several locations to regulate the movement of vehicles. Pilgrims say that traffic management along the route needs improvement, along with effective measures at sensitive points to prevent congestion and ensure that people are not stranded in traffic jams for hours.
