Dr. Sunil Gulati's blog

The 16th batch of 41 pilgrims returned to Gujni camp at Lipulekh Pass on Monday after successfully completing the annual Kailash Manssarovar Yatra. The pilgrims reached New Delhi on the 26th of September after staying one night in Jagesware in Almora.

According to DK Sharma, manager of tourism in Kumaon Mandal Vikash Nigam, this year witnessed the highest number of pilgrims in all 16 batches. 774 pilgrims went to Kailash and Manssarovar to complete the pilgrimage. Since the pilgrimage began in 1981, a total of 12,518 pilgrims from all over the country have visited Kailash and Manssarovar in 368 batches.

The Kailash Manssarovar Yatra begins on the 1st of June every year. It is significant for its religious value, physical beauty and cultural richness,. Every year hundreds of people from across India undertake this journey to visit God Shiva in Tibet.

The ministry of External affairs organizes this Yatra every year from May to September. It is open to all Indians with valid Indian passports. The Yatra consist of trekking to high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet.

Devotees travel under severe conditions like rugged terrain and extreme cold. People who wish to perform the pilgrimage have to undergo three medical examinations to qualify for the journey. The selection is undertaken by the Ministry of External Affairs through computer generated random selection process.

Earlier in April this year the Minister of state and External affairs Smt. Preneet Kaur expressed the importance that the Kailash Manssarovar Yatra in the view of deep religious and spiritual sentiments of the Indian people. The minister said that the government is constantly putting efforts in upgrading and improving facilities for the Yatra Pilgrims.

The Yatra include two main destinations- Mount Kailash that is God Shiva’s abode and Manssarovar Lake. The devotees take a dip in Manssarovar Lake and circumambulate around Mount Kailash to be liberated from the cycle of birth and death and to be absolved of their sins.

A Rs 600 crore package has been demanded from the National Disaster Relief Fund of India by the Uttarakhand government. The amount was necessitated for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of the cloudburst in Uttarkashi. Piyush Rautela Deputy Director of Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, stated on Friday that the government has demanded Rs600 crore last month from the National Disaster Relief Fund of India for the relief of natural calamity victims in Uttarkhashi.

The required amount is likely to increase after the Uttarakhand Government has evaluated the extent of damage instigated by the cloudburst incident in Ukhimath located in the district of Rudraprayag. The cloudbursts hit the different regions of Uttarakhand in the months of August and September this year.

Incessant rains followed by cloudbursts triggered massive landslides in Uttarakhand killing many people in their sleep. More than 25 people died in the cloudburst disaster in Uttarkashi this year on the 4th of August.

In another cloudburst that followed in within a month on September 14, the death toll rose to more than 50 people in the worst affected areas of Jakholi and Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district. The Cloudburst rendered 500 people homeless and left a trail of destruction in many regions of Rudraprayag. Farmers in Uttarkashi suffered huge losses.

Around 40% of the potato crops were destroyed. Many roads that lead to the city have been obstructed with landslide and debris making it very difficult for the farmers to transport their goods. The incident not the first cloudburst calamity in India The first major cloudburst incident in the year 1908 killed 15,000 people and destroyed 80,000 houses on the banks of the Musi River in Andra Pradesh. On the 15th of August 1997 around 115 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district.

Uttarakhand is fast becoming one of the most promising industrial destinations. Private participation is being encouraged by the government in all industrial areas. Uttarakhand’s large forest cover, enormous potential for power and vast natural recourses makes it a potential prosperous state. With good climatic conditions agriculture is the major income source. More than three quarters of the state’s population are into agriculture. But this is not the only area for investment. Uttarakhand has other major areas that give good opportunities for investments and gains.

Tourism

Considered as a ‘Land of Gods’, Uttarakhand continues to attract pilgrims and tourists from across the world. It has incredible natural beauty and serenity from the Himalayas. It is a destination for sacred pilgrimages for people from all over India. Uttarakhand is rich in culture and traditions and has favorable climatic conditions- two of the factors that attract a lot of tourists.

Handicrafts, handloom, wool based industry, khadi & village industries

Handicrafts industries such as wood carving, carpet weaving and brass ware are planning to be revived by the state. They are important for generating employment in rural areas. The state plans to invest in budding skill’ based industries by using training, infrastructure support, marketing events, design development and exhibitions.

Information technology

The state has high literacy rate and many educational institutions of high quality are available across the district. It is a good destination for developing IT, ITES and hardware production. The state provides high speed connectivity after the establishment of STPI earth station in Dehradun.

Agro and food processing industry

The state government plans to help setting up medium and small size Agro and food parks which will eventually provide facilities for marketing, grading, processing and storing produce. The government has already declared four Agri Export zones under the AEZ scheme of the Indian Government for leechi, herbs, medicinal plants, horticulture, and export and domestic markets for produce from the state.

Under the schemes of MFPI the government of Uttarakhand will also be providing project subsidies under various Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) schemes.