Haridwar, April 17 -- With just two days left for the commencement of the annual Char Dham Yatra, one of the major offline registration centres in the Garhwal division, the Rishikul Char Dham registration centre in Haridwar, will begin operating from today (April 17), officials said. According to district administration officials, the Rishikul-based registration centre has been equipped with necessary facilities and arrangements to manage the expected rush of pilgrims. A total of 20 registration counters have been set up in order to ensure smooth and faster registration of pilgrims on a daily basis. Senior administrative officials have been conducting regular inspections of the registration centres set up at the Rishikul ground. The registration centre is located about 1.5 km from the Haridwar railway station and bus terminus. "We have increased the registration counters to 20 and a shift-wise duty roster has been prepared for the personnel deployed there," said P R Chauhan, additional district magistrate. "Adequate arrangements such as shades, seating areas, potable drinking water, electricity supply, fans, coolers, washrooms and resting spaces have been put in place for the convenience of Char Dham Yatra-bound pilgrims," the distric magistrate added. Meanwhile, at the transit camp in Rishikesh for Char Dham pilgrims, the administration is installing German hangars and pagoda tents ini order to improve management of the registration process and accommodate the pilgrims during the Yatra. Officials said that at the transit camp dispensary, medical staff have been deployed in two shifts with eight personnel in each shift to provide basic medical facilities to pilgrims as well as drivers and conductors ferrying them to the pilgrimage sites. The Char Dham Yatra will begin on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri Temple and Yamunotri Temple on April 19. According to officials, the portals of Kedarnath Temple will open on April 22, followed by Badrinath Temple on April 23....