Badrinath (Uttarakhand), May 8: Uttarakhand’s holy town of Badrinath, known for its beatific and peaceful surroundings, is facing the threat of loosing its serenity to rampant urbanisation.
Scores of constructions sites have sprung across the city. The Himalayan town has seen deforestation owing to accelerated construction work and a high level of pollution, attributed by a rush of pilgrims and tourists.
The Badrinath temple dedicated to Lord Badri Narayan or Lord Vishnu was constructed in the ninth century by Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara.
Over the years, the number of pilgrims has increased five fold from 100,000 two decades back, to about 500,000 in the last three years. [more]
