Key Points

Speaking to the reporters, Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "This team will cover a distance of around 1032 km. It is a challenging journey, due to which the nearby villages will get a chance to come forward from tourism, culture and development point of view..."

Dhami further said that the Char Dham Yatra is going on smoothly, with around 28 lakh devotees having offered prayers so far, and added that the safety of pilgrims remains the top priority.

"The Yatra is going on smoothly. It has been reviewed at many levels. The safety of devotees has always been our priority...Till now, around 28 lakhs of devotees have offered prayers during the Char Dham Yatra," Dhami said.

Earlier on Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered special audits and enhanced surveillance of helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.

The move comes after several recent incidents involving helicopter operations in the hill state.

The aviation watchdog has also suspended the operations of Kestrel Aviation Private Limited with immediate effect after one of its helicopters made an emergency landing in the middle of a highway in Guptkashi on June 7. Five passengers on board the chopper, en route to Kedarnath from Rudraprayag, narrowly escaped.

"This is in addition to the suspension of operations of another operator for safety violations in May 2025," DGCA said in a statement.

As a precautionary measure, the DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of curtailing helicopter operations to the Char Dham entirely if required.

It has started actively monitoring the live camera feeds provided by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath, the statement said.

The aviation watchdog said that any deviation from standard operating procedures (SOP) by helicopter operators is detected in real time, allowing for immediate corrective measures.

"Today, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath from their respective helipads failed to adhere to SOPs, particularly regarding proper helicopter parking procedures," said the DGCAA safety investigation has been initiated to identify contributing factors, including mechanical failures, operational errors, and weather-related challenges, the statement said.

Additionally, directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to Out of Ground Effect (OGE) conditions till further notice.

- ANI