officials-inspect-kanwar-yatra-route-food-safety-in-uttarakhand

As part of preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, officials in Pauri Garhwal district conducted a joint inspection of the pilgrimage route on Saturday, focusing on necessary improvements to infrastructure and safety.

 

The inspection was led by District Magistrate Swati S. Bhadauria, who was joined by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and teams from the electricity, road, and water departments.

 

"We inspected the whole Kanwar Yatra route with the SSP and the whole team of electricity, road, and water. A detailed inspection was conducted of the pedestrian road, temple, parking area, and toilets," Bhadauria told mediapersons.

 

She highlighted areas needing immediate attention, including a large parking area managed by the Zila Panchayat where toilets were found to be insufficient.

 

"There is a big parking lot of the Zila Panchayat where there is a slight shortage of toilets. We have also directed them about the solar lights on the pedestrian walk, while directions have been given for the safety of elephant-prone zones and dangerous zones," she further added.

 

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand State Health Department has rolled out a detailed action plan to ensure that food served during the yatra is pure and safe.

 

As per an official release, dedicated teams of food safety officers have been deployed across key districts—Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Uttarkashi. These teams will collect samples of milk, sweets, oil, spices, and drinks from food stalls on a regular basis and send them for lab testing. If any sample fails to meet safety standards, the concerned establishment will be shut down immediately. 

 

Additional Commissioner of Food Safety, Tajbar Singh Jaggi, said the government will take strict action against any business operating without a license or found selling adulterated food. This includes fines and possible criminal charges.

 

Health Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety, R. Rajesh Kumar, emphasised that clear instructions have been issued to all food vendors—hotels, dhabas, roadside stalls, and carts—along the Kanwar Yatra routes. Every food outlet is required to display a clean copy of their license or registration certificate prominently, so pilgrims can easily verify its authenticity.