PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
A landslide resulted in the collapse of Kulagad Bridge on Dharchula- Tawaghat National Highway in Pithoragarh district on Wednesday morning. The important bridge located in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route got damaged by the huge boulders in the landslide due to which traffic on the strategically important border road was affected.
A team of Border Road Organisation (BRO) rushed to the spot after receiving information about the collapse of the bridge. The BRO officials are trying to prepare an alternative route for diverting traffic on it. An officer of the BRO said that work on preparing an alternative route is expected to be complete by Wednesday evening. He claimed that the agency is working to normalise traffic as early as possible.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ninth batch of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra comprising 48 pilgrims and three cooks of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) is scheduled to enter India on Wednesday. The tenth batch having 44 pilgrims and three cooks of KNVN is currently in Tibet and is likely to enter India on Wednesday. In view of the Yatra, the officers of the State administration and BRO are closely monitoring the situation after the collapse of the bridge.
The Dharchula-Tawaghat route is important for the border region and often faces disruptions during the monsoon due to falling stones and boulders.
