Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], May 6 (ANI): A 24-hour ban has been enforced on the usage of horses and mules in the Kedarnath Yatra, an official said on Monday.

The administration took the following reported deaths of some horses and mules here.

'Yesterday, eight horses and mules died, while today, six of them died. We wanted to ascertain the reason behind it. Tomorrow, a team from the Centre will also come to check the reason for deaths...' said BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Animal Husbandry (Uttarakhand).

Meanwhile, on May 1, helicopter services commenced for the Kedarnath Yatra. The services commenced from Sonprayag in Uttarakhand to offer a convenient travel option for the pilgrims, as per officials.

Pawan Rana, a helicopter operator, said, 'Online tickets are available on IRCTC, while offline tickets can be obtained through the District Magistrate or Sector Magistrate. We operate around 20 to 30 shuttles daily, serving over 150 pilgrims.'

He added that flight operations are subject to weather conditions. 'If the weather is clear, we can run 25 to 30 flights a day. In case of bad weather, tickets are cancelled, and passenger safety is prioritised. Security arrangements are in place, and every passenger is properly briefed before flying.'

Rana also mentioned that around 150 online bookings are made daily, and advance booking is open for a month.

The idol of Baba Kedarnath arrived at the Kedarnath Dham on May 1, and the temple doors for the devotees opened on the morning of May 2.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Yamunotri on Wednesday, April 30, where Yamunotri Dham opened to pilgrims on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

Speaking to reporters, Dhami said, 'We are monitoring the situation from every angle to ensure that the Char Dham Yatra pilgrims do not face any problems... The journey to Yamunotri Dham is slightly more challenging than that to the other Dhams. For this, we are working on making a master plan.'

He added that pilgrimage to the Char Dham has increased significantly since 2014, following extensive development work undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)