Vaishno Devi: NGT says only 50,000 pilgrims a day can visit shrine

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has capped the number of pilgrims who can visit the Vaishno Devi shrine in a day at 50,000.

The tribunal, in its order, said any pilgrims over that number will be asked to stop at either Ardhkumari or Katra

The NGT has also put on hold the new construction taking place inside the shrine complex.

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The NGT had last year directed the CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to furnish a detailed report of solid waste and sewage treatment plants installed at the shrine complex.

The NGT had also asked for details ofremedial measure taken to tackle the waste problem after a plea complained that a large amount of untreated solid and liquid waste generated by pilgrims, horses, ponies, and mules was being disposed directly into a bad-polluted Gangariver.

Vaishno Devi is a Hindu shrine located at Katra, Jammu and Kashmir in the Trikuta mountains.

Interestingly, the shrine was discovered by a local Kashmiri Muslim.

And for a long timehe and his family looked after the shrine, until the government took over the shrine and the pilgrimage to it.

In other news, it was also reported the new path to Vaishno Devi exclusively for pedestrians and battery-operated cars will open from November 24.