Overview
- Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in Thursday’s review meeting, ordered a plastic‑free drive, tighter helicopter SOPs, slot‑based entry, CCTV with AI, 24x7 control rooms, and added medical units with daily supply checks.
- The Shri Badrinath‑Kedarnath Temple Committee will restrict VIP darshan to official‑protocol holders only, with a full ban on phones, photography, videography, and vlogging inside temple premises.
- The state aviation authority has barred helicopter firms linked to past crashes and picked operators with clean records and pilots logging over 750 flight hours, pairing this with mandated maintenance, fitness checks, and crew rest.
- The Uttarakhand High Court has given the government three weeks to amend SOPs and speed up animal‑care steps, including a decision on an infirmary at Kotma in Rudraprayag and added veterinary support on the routes.
- The yatra opens in phases from April 19 for Gangotri and Yamunotri, then Kedarnath on April 22 and Badrinath on April 23, with the new rules meant to shorten queues, cut overcharging and rumor‑driven panic, and improve safety on high mountain roads.