Dehradun: The Char Dham Yatra will begin from September 18, said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. This come a day after the Nainital High Court lifted the ban on Chardham Yatra and ordered the authorities to aggressively enforce COVID-appropriate behavior during the pilgrimage.

The Nainital High Court has lifted the ban on Char Dham Yatra and allowed only fully Covid vaccinated people with a mandatory COVID-19 negative report for the annual pilgrimage. The court ordered devotees to follow strict COVID-19 protocols and limited the number of visitors too.

The Tourism Department of the state will issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in this regard on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary Dr S S Sandhu also instructed the District Magistrates of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Pauri to make arrangements for road safety, cleanliness, crowd management, traffic arrangements, testing and compliance with the rules of Covid-19 on the Char Dham Yatra route. He has also reviewed the preparations for Char Dham Yatra and has given necessary instructions by holding a meeting with the officials of various departments related to travel including Tourism and Devasthanam Management Board.

The Char Dham Yatra attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.

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