Rishikesh, Sept. 9 -- Char Dham Yatra Administration Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Prajapati Nautiyal on Wednesday outlined preparations for the pilgrimage's second phase starting September 15 this year, predicting that the footfall of devotees will likely exceed 55 lakh this season.

Speaking to ANI, Nautiyal stated that the administration has rectified the issues along vulnerable routes, including landslide-prone areas, high-difficulty spots, and traffic congestion bottlenecks, to ensure smooth operations throughout the journey.

"Regarding the Char Dham Yatra, we can see that the monsoon season is gradually coming to an end, and the number of travellers and pilgrims is increasing day by day. Undoubtedly, this second phase of the Yatra ...