Pithoragarh: Even though officials have introduced helicopter facility for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims for the first time this year in an attempt to help them complete the journey on time, inclement weather conditions have played spoilsport throwing the yatra out of gear and leaving around 58 pilgrims stranded for over eight days.According to sources, the eighth batch has been stranded for over eight days due to bad weather accompanied by poor visibility which has resulted in an inordinate delay in flights taking the pilgrims to Gunji base camp. The fifth and seventh batches were also similarly delayed despite best efforts.According to the schedule, the batch was supposed to have crossed Lipulekh Pass into Chinese territory by Wednesday. However, with rain playing spoilsport, the pilgrims would now have to request Chinese authorities to reschedule the dates. T S Martolia, general manager (tourism) of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) Ltd, the nodal agency for the Yatra in Pithoragarh, said, “Bad weather in the upper reaches of Himalayas is obstructing flights. As the pilgrims have been delayed, officials of the external affairs ministry are co-ordinating with their Chinese counterparts to reschedule the dates. We did the same for the seventh batch too. Now, even the ninth batch has been delayed and they have been lodged in the KMVN guest house in Almora.”Meanwhile, pilgrims claim that their plans have been disrupted due to the bad weather. Arun Miglani from Delhi said, “We are helpless. The helicopter will be able to take off only when the weather is clear. We hope that the batch will be able to complete the pilgrimage with the blessings of Lord Sankar.” “Since the helicopter facility was available, I had made railway reservations according to the schedule. Yet, I had to cancel it due to the unforeseen delay,” said Bhagyasri Lonkar from Maharashtra.This year, officials had introduced helicopter facility for pilgrims for the first time in an attempt to facilitate easy and speedy movement without unnecessary delays and procedural hassles.

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