Dehradun, May 16 -- The Char Dham Yatra saw a 30% decrease in footfall in the first 15 days of the pilgrimage this year when compared to last year, officials said on Thursday, adding that the dip was likely caused by the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. According to government data, 719,056 pilgrims visited the Char Dham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri from April 30 to May 14 this year. In contrast, 1.03 million pilgrims visited these shrines during the corresponding period in 2024. Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the Dehradun based environmental action and advocacy group SDC Foundation, said the drop was caused by the rising tensions between India and Pahalgam following the Pahlagam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people. In response to the terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The retaliation triggered four days of intense strikes and counterstrikes by the two sides before a ceasefire was called on May 10. Nautiyal said the drop in pilgrim influx must be seen in the context of the current India-Pakistan situation. "The conflict and military escalation in recent weeks have undoubtedly had an impact on public sentiment and travel confidence. There has been a slowdown in interstate pilgrim movement, especially from states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and parts of Rajasthan. HTC...