Following a spate of helicopter crashes and emergency landings along the Char Dham Yatra route in Uttarakhand, serious concerns have been raised on safety of pilgrims by the public and authorities. The most recent tragedy of Sunday (June 15) involved an Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd chopper returning from Kedarnath, which crashed near Guptkashi, claiming the lives of seven people on board.This marks the fifth such incident involving helicopters on the pilgrimage route within a span of just over a month, igniting sharp criticism from opposition leaders and the general public.On 7 June, a Kestrel Aviation helicopter en route to Kedarnath was forced to make an emergency landing on a highway in Rudraprayag district due to a technical snag shortly after take-off. The aircraft made a hard landing near residential buildings, damaging a parked vehicle with its tail rotor. Fortunately, all passengers and the pilot escaped unharmed.Just weeks earlier, on 8 May, another private chopper crashed en route to Gangotri near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district, resulting in six fatalities—including five female pilgrims and the pilot—and seriously injuring one male passenger.In a separate incident on 12 May, a helicopter carrying pilgrims from Badrinath to Sersi made an emergency landing at a school playground in Ukhimath owing to poor visibility. No injuries were reported, and the flight resumed an hour later when conditions improved.On 17 May, an AIIMS Rishikesh heli ambulance also crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad due to damage to its rear section. The doctor, pilot, and medical staff member on board escaped without injury.“This was the fifth mishap involving a chopper on the Char Dham Yatra route within less than one-and-a-half months of the commencement of the pilgrimage this year,” stated Suryakant Dhasmana, Vice-President of the Uttarakhand Congress.Criticising the administration, he added: “It shows that the state government has no control over the aviation firms operating on the route. There is no SOP for chopper operations. In the mad rush for making money, the heli companies have thrown all caution to the wind. There is no cap on the number of sorties being undertaken by them in a day.”Echoing these concerns, social activist Anoop Nautiyal questioned the government’s commitment to safety reforms. “Four days ago, news came that there will be strict norms guiding heli operations now – only 3-4 passengers will be allowed to board a chopper, not 5-6. However, four days later, seven people, including the pilot, died in yet another helicopter accident,” he said.“If you don’t want to change the system, why do you tell lies to the people? Will anyone who played with people’s lives be suspended? Will anyone take responsibility? Will these helicopters be reined in after five accidents in little over a month, or will they keep crashing like this?” Nautiyal asked.In response to Sunday’s fatal crash, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami convened an emergency meeting and announced the immediate suspension of heli services along the Yatra route for two days.“Operations will resume only after the safety of all passengers is ensured. The safety of the Yatris cannot be compromised,” the Chief Minister said.Dhami directed the formation of a committee of technical experts led by the Chief Secretary, tasked with drafting a stringent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all heli services in the state. The SOP will mandate comprehensive technical checks and adherence to strict safety standards.An official statement noted that the committee will ensure all aspects of helicopter operations—technical, safety, and procedural—are thoroughly reviewed and brought in line with best practices.Additionally, Dhami stressed the importance of weather monitoring before flights and ordered an investigative committee to probe Sunday’s crash, along with all previous incidents this season.