DEHRADUN: Mules have outdone helicopters during this year’s bumper Kedarnath pilgrimage that saw record crowds as far as earnings are concerned, showed official data released on Thursday. Of the 15 lakh pilgrims to this shrine, 5. 3 lakh used mules to cover the trek, resulting in owners of the animals earning Rs 101. 3 crore compared to Rs 75-80 crore amassed by chopper firms.
Data also revealed that palki — palanquin —owners earned Rs 86 lakh this yatra season. The total earnings by ponies, helicopters and palkis stand at a little over Rs 190 crore.
There are 4,302 mule owners and 8,664 animals registered with the state government. At present, nine chopper firms are operating on the Kedarnath route from three locations — Sirsi, Phata and Guptkashi.
While the Kedarnath trek route is 17-km long, Yamunotri shrine has a 5km trek. Mule owners earned Rs 22 crore on the Yamunotri route. There are 2,900 registered mules on the route. The collective earning of mule owners, chopper firms and palki owners at Kedarnath and Yamunotri was to the tune of Rs 211 crore. The earnings have helped the government earn Rs 8 crore in taxes and registration fee. Around trip by helicopter on the Guptkashi-Kedarnath route costs Rs 7,750. From Phata to Kedarnath, the round trip fare is Rs 4,720, and it is Rs 4,680 on the Sirsi-Kedarnath route. The cost of a pony ride ranges from Rs 2,500 per person to Rs 500 depending on the distance for which the animal is hired.
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) managing director Bansidhar Tiwari told TOI, “Till now, GMVN has generated Rs 40 crore during the pilgrimage, and by the time the yatra ends on November 19, the earnings are expected to reach the Rs 50 crore mark.”