Mussoorie, March 30 -- The administration in Rudraprayag district has begun large-scale snow clearance operations on the trekking route to Kedarnath Temple ahead of the opening of the shrine portals on April 22 for the annual Char Dham Yatra, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. According to officials, teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and workers have been deployed to remove accumulated snow from the traditional pilgrimage route to ensure it is ready for devotees in time. The snow clearance operation, being carried out under the supervision of district magistrate Vishal Mishra, began on Saturday and continued on Sunday, officials said. According to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) officials, around 60 labourers have been deployed and divided into two teams to speed up the work. While one team of 30 labourers is clearing snow from the Kedarnath temple complex downward on the northern side, another team of 30 workers is moving upward from Chhoti Lincholi on the southern side. Officials said the teams are focusing on clearing six major glacier points along the route that remain blocked due to fresh snowfall. Rajvind Singh, executive engineer of the DDMA, said the teams are facing difficulties as several stretches of the route are buried under massive snow deposits. "Snow walls reaching up to 18 feet are posing a formidable challenge in some areas," he said. The most critical stretches include the Bhairav and Kuber glacier zones where snow depth is estimated to be between 15 and 18 feet....