Amidst the challenge of cleaning huge amounts of debris in calamity-struck areas of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna visited the Kedarnath Temple today.

After his visit to the shrine, he told mediapersons that the temple is safe, restoration activities are on in full swing and development plans for the area are presently being prepared. Bahuguna assured devotees that the temple was safe saying, "I would like to assure all the devotees that the temple is safe, I have seen it myself. It will not be long before pujas(religious ceremonies) resume at the temple.' However, he said he would not be able to put a date on the resumption of prayers at the temple.

Speaking on restoration plans, Bahuguna said that there would be separate routes to approach and descend from the temple. Methods to build a helipad in the area to accommodate MI26 choppers commissioned to transport heavy equipment like bulldozers, JCBs and powerful stone cutting tools to the Kedar Valley were also discussed.