Pithoragarh, 21 June

The preparations for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which resumes through the Lipulekh Pass in this district after a gap of five years on 30 June, were reviewed at a meeting here on Saturday, officials said.

Pithoragarh District Magistrate Vinod Goswami said that a total of 250 pilgrims in five batches consisting of 50 pilgrims each  would visit Kailash Mansarovar from the Lipulekh Pass route this year.

"For the first time in the history of the yatra, the pilgrims will reach Lipulekh Pass in vehicles. Over 13 vehicles have been arranged and two kept in reserve for the purpose by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the nodal agency for the yatra," he added.

The district magistrate said the first batch of pilgrims will reach Dharchula Base Camp on 5 July and leave for the Gunji Camp the following day.

Goswami said the pilgrims will be medically examined first at the high altitude of Gunji where they will be kept for two days for acclimatisation, adding the second medical test on the pilgrims will be performed at Nabhidhang before they enter Tibet.

"We have arranged a physician besides base hospital level medical facilities for the pilgrims at Gunji. We have updated the lodging facilities at all camps of the yatra ," the official said.

The representative from the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) attended the review meeting, he added.

In view of heightened vulnerability of roads in the region to landslides during monsoon, the district magistrate said the BRO has been asked to issue updates on the condition of roads on the yatra route twice daily.

The pilgrims will have rest at Bundi Camp on their return journey from Tibet and return to New Delhi via Berinag visiting Chaukori, Patal Bhuvneshwar, Hat Kalika, Jageshwar, Almora and Kainchi Dham, he added.