By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Indian army has launched the snow clearing operation on war-footing on the Hemkund Sahib trek in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday.
The portals of Hemkund Sahib are scheduled to open for devotees on May 23 after a gap of more than half a year.
To ensure that the Hemkund Sahib Yatra is smooth, safe, and well-organized, the Army personnel are undertaking snow-clearance operations along the pilgrimage route on a war footing, an official statement said.
Despite the rugged mountainous terrain and adverse conditions, the soldiers are continuously clearing the path to ensure that pilgrims face no inconvenience during the arduous pilgrimage to the 15000 feet high shrine nestling in the snowcapped Garhwal Himalayas.
The pilgrimage trek is expected to be fully operational very soon, officials said. The district administration is finalizing all necessary arrangements related to the pilgrimage to ensure that devotees are provided with all kind of facilities.