Uttarakhand one of the most beautiful hill stations of India also known as Devbhoomi has been in the limelight as the Char Dham Yatra to Kedarnath have been started on 3 May 2022. The opening of Kedarnath has always been one of the most heart-touching moments for all the devotees coming to the temple. To reach Kedarnath, around 16 Kilometers of trekking is required from the Gaurikund area.
Kedarnath is a pilgrimage centre as it means ‘The Lord of the Field”. For more than 12 years, this place has become the limelight as people from across the country visit this holy place to worship Shiv. It is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
No doubt, this place is the heart of 130 million population but some places like Kedarnath and its high range of mountains are meant for better environment because of which people are attracted, towards such kinds of places. But nowadays, thanks to social media which is playing a very important role in creating hurdles for the environment. In a recent incident, it was observed that from different states people do visit Kedarnath because of which garbage, wrappers and polythene were scattered all over their camping site.
Social media such as Instagram and Facebook are used mostly by every person in the country because of which the craze for mountains, the eternal love for the Lord Shiv and travelling are getting more and more attention which leads to chaos in hilly areas. It is also a fact that people are visiting this place not because they want to worship with their whole hearts but because other people travel to this place. For the public, it is becoming more of a must-have travel place as it highlights their image and reputation which is very hurtful for the society. The high-class society people come as pilgrims but are unaware of the way of cleanliness.
Back then in 2013, one of the most dangerous flood tragedies due to a cloud burst occurred in Kedarnath. Several such incidents occurs every year in Uttarakhand. Bursting of clouds and melting of glaciers happen because of global warming and rising temperature. There are some logical facts about why Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are the most famous tourist state when it comes to chilled weather in summer and snowfall in winters.
It is so disrespectful that people use these states for their fun and enjoyment but forgets that they are able to explore such places because of their clean and pure environment. Mountains are becoming weak as for the better connectivity of transport roads are been made by cutting those mountains. The number of trees is getting burned which leads to deforestation and a rise in the temperature.
Recently, due to heavy rain and snowfall Kedarnath yatra was given a short pause due to which devotees were told to stay at their hotels and campsite. Afterwards, when the Yatra opened again more than 1000 devotees blocked the trek area to Kedarnath. Around 30 horses lost their life due to food scarcity as horses were the only source for those who can’t trek to Kedarnath. Horse owners in greed for money pissed those voiceless animals.
Uttarakhand government should think more about the future sustainability rather than gaining profit from the tourism sector if such things are getting ignored then this is very obvious that profits are just temporary but the loss it will create for Uttarakhand is unimaginable. Many big mountains are getting cracked the reason is deforestation because trees hold the mountains with their broad roots. These cracked mountains can anytime fall to roads in the form of landslides leading to big casualties. Due to deforestation, tigers are becoming homeless and they, in search of the jungle are coming to the city site and which leads to the killing of the general public. Authorities are avoiding such issues as they are more focused on increasing tourism.
Development is very pivotal for growing India but focusing on the environment is also very crucial. Few places are just meant to be the same as it was back then because nature has created them in that way. The general public needs to be aware strictly of the Do’s and Dont when it comes to travelling in the mountainous region. Ban of polythene is a must. The local public of Kedarnath can also play an important role in creating awareness of how and where to dispose the garbage by the tourist. People need to be self-independent rather than dependent on one another.
The government needs to implement harsh steps which can create fear in the mind of the public.
An increase in fines and proper watchdog is a must needed step. Other than that what is more important is setting a fixed number of devotees for each and every day which will help to reduce the chaos and pollution in such a religious spot.
Leo Tolstoy once said, “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken”. A beautiful epitome by Leo defines the importance and nature’s equal right on this Earth. Kedarnath is such an auspicious place for the devotees to worship Lord Shiva, it is meant for peace, not for jealousy or showing off. Visiting this beautiful temple is indeed open heaven for all. For maintaining the beauty and essence of Kedarnath and Uttrakhand immediate steps are needed to be taken until it’s too late.
Photo source- OutlookIndia
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