Char Dham Yatra suspended for 24 hours; heavy rain alert in Uttarakhand

The Char Dham yatra has been suspended for 24 hours amid heavy rainfall and landslides in Uttarakhand. The move follows a cloudburst that hit Silai Band on the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, leaving nine workers missing at an under-construction hotel site.

Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said that, "I have given instructions to the police and administration officials to stop the pilgrims in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag and Vikasnagar.” He added that the suspension had been implemented as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed that another cloudburst in Baligarh, along the Barkot-Yamunotri Marg, caused severe damage to the hotel construction site. "Eight-nine workers staying at this under-construction hotel site are missing," Arya stated, adding that the Yamunotri route has also been severely impacted.

Search and rescue operations are underway, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Police immediately dispatching their teams to the site.

Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management for Uttarakhand, also confirmed the news and said the government was closely monitoring the situation. Suman added that necessary instructions had been passed to ensure the safety of pilgrims and residents in the region.

Incessant rainfall on Saturday caused severe disruptions across Uttarakhand, including blockage of the National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani.

In a post on X (previously Twitter), Chamoli Police Uttarakhand informed the public that the Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani, and that work is underway to open the road.

The National Highway near Nandprayag is a critical route for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, making the clearance of the road a priority.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed to the public to be cautious and avoid unnecessary travel on Saturday, due to the forecasted heavy rainfall in the state's hilly and some plain areas over the next 24 hours.

The Char Dham yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees to the sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. ANI