Thursday, 13 July 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Thousands of pilgrims were stranded after the district administrations of Chamoli and Rudraprayag halted the pilgrimage to Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines respectively due to incessant rain on Wednesday. The officials said that the Chamoli district administration restricted the movement after heavy boulders fell on the Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) triggered by rainfall in the morning.
The movement was also restricted on the Chhinka route and Pagal Nala in Joshimath due to the accumulation of debris. Route near Helang in Joshimath was also blocked due to heavy boulders. The officials said that a landslide occurred on NH 57 and massive rocks continued to fall there due to rain. Since it was not feasible to clear all routes on Wednesday, the police made public announcements regarding the blocked routes and asked the pilgrims to take shelter at safe places for the night. The administration also made necessary arrangements for pilgrims to stay till the traffic resumes on the routes, as per the officials.
The Kedarnath Yatra was also halted at Sonprayag and Gaurikund on Wednesday due to continuous heavy rains. The district administration of Rudraprayag district said that the decision was taken in view of the safety of the pilgrims due to unfavourable weather conditions. The authorities have appealed to pilgrims to not continue their Char Dham journey in the inclement weather to avoid inconvenience and unfortunate incidents.
Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) also formed an alternative route on Wednesday for the movement of people at Jumma Nallah on Malari Highway near Joshimath after the only bridge that connects the India-China border got washed away in the rain on Monday night.
