Rain halts Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib Yatras for 9 hours
Friday, 07 July 2023 | PNS | JOSHIMATH
The traffic on Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) remained closed for nine hours since 5 AM on Thursday near Chhinka in the Chamoli district due to landslides triggered by incessant rain. The district administration restricted the movement after heavy boulders fell on the route triggered by rainfall. The movement on its alternate route- the Pipalkoti-Jhingran route near Chhinka was also restricted due to frequently falling debris, as per the police. Hundreds of pilgrims going to Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib remained stranded due to blocked roads.
The police also made people aware of frequently falling boulders via public announcements and appealed to them to not pass through those routes against the administration’s orders. They appealed to the devotees to follow proper traffic rules while maintaining patience, law and order when roads get blocked as authorities do everything possible to resume the traffic.
The traffic on the highway resumed on Thursday afternoon while the Pipalkoti-Ghingran route was opened partially for vehicular movement. Besides this, a woman also got injured on Badrinath NH near Bajpur after a boulder fell on her car. She sustained injuries after which authorities admitted her to a government hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment.