Uttarakhand CM Orders Immediate, Mid- And Long-Term Plans For Kainchi Dham Crowd Management
The number of devotees visiting Kainchi Dham has surged significantly — from an average of 8 lakh annually to about 24 lakh in the past year
In light of the rapidly rising footfall at Kainchi Dham, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting at his residence and directed officials to develop immediate, mid-term, and long-term plans for efficient crowd and traffic management during the annual fair.
The Chief Minister emphasized that while urgent measures must be taken to improve the ongoing fair’s operations, a robust and sustainable management system must be planned for the future. He also instructed that road-cutting work on the approximately 3 km stretch from the Sanatorium to Bhawali Petrol Pump be expedited on a war footing to ease traffic flow.
District Magistrate Nainital, Vandana Singh, informed that the number of devotees visiting Kainchi Dham has surged significantly — from an average of 8 lakh annually to about 24 lakh in the past year. This year alone, around 2.5 to 3 lakh devotees are expected during the fair.
Highlighting the limited holding capacity of the shrine, the DM said that far more devotees arrive than the site can accommodate. A comprehensive plan for traffic regulation and crowd control has been devised, and a future registration system with a cap on the number of visitors is under consideration to ensure a safe and organized pilgrimage experience.
Senior officials including Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Additional DGP A.P. Anshuman, IG Kumaon Riddhim Agarwal, and SSP Nainital P.S. Meena also joined the meeting virtually.
