Rain fury: Landslides block over 100 roads in Uttarakhand, hit Kedar yatra
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As per data from State Emergency Operation Centre, 113 roads, including two national highways, were blocked on Thursday. Chamoli district reported the highest number of road blockades at 23, followed by Pithoragarh with 22.
The Kedarnath yatra was temporarily halted Thursday morning after a landslide struck the crucial Sonprayag-Gaurikund route near Mankutia around 10pm the previous night, stranding over 40 pilgrims returning from the shrine.
The State Disaster Response Force evacuated the pilgrims by opening a temporary passage through the debris.
Officials said the damaged stretch was not fit for vehicular movement, prompting authorities to divert incoming pilgrims to safer locations. Road restoration efforts are currently underway.
"Munkatiya sliding zone and the small parking area near Gaurikund is now open for pedestrian use," said a district police officer.
Officials, however, cautioned that with more rainfall expected, the route remains hazardous and advised travellers to proceed with caution. The regional Met centre reported moderate to heavy rainfall at several places across the state over the past 24 hours, keeping disaster response teams on alert.
The monsoon also adversely impacted pilgrim footfall. While the Char Dham yatra witnessed a daily footfall of over 50,000 devotees just a few weeks ago, the numbers have now sharply declined to around 14,000 to 15,000 per day.
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Kedarnath alone, which was recording over 20,000 visitors daily, saw the number drop to just over 4,000 in recent days.
Meanwhile, in Bageshwar, over 300 families remain at risk due to unstable terrain, especially in Kapkot, where villagers are demanding they be evacuated. Diwan Singh, a resident of Kharbagad village, said, "The hill above is collapsing, and river below is eroding the land. Our village is under the shadow of disaster.
We have already suffered significant damage in the recent rains and are left with nowhere to go."
Kapkot SDM Anil Rawat acknowledged the vulnerability of the region. "While the situation is currently under control, this entire region is geologically sensitive. The exact condition of Kharbagad will be known only after a detailed geoscientific study, to be conducted soon."
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