Uttarakhand's Chardham Yatra Temporarily Suspended In View Of Heavy Rain Alert
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Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said it has been decided to postpone the Yatra for the safety of pilgrims.
The Uttarakhand's Chardham Yatra—pilgrimage to holy shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath—was temporarily suspended for 24 hours on Sunday in view of the weather department's prediction of heavy to very heavy rains in the Garhwal region of the state.
Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said it has been decided to postpone the Yatra for the safety of pilgrims.
He said that the police and administration have been instructed to stop the pilgrims in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag and Vikasnagar.
'Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for the next 24 hours in view of the heavy rain alert. Instructions have been given to the police and administration officials to stop the pilgrims in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag and Vikasnagar," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
Those who have already proceeded on the pilgrimage should wait wherever they are until the weather clears to resume their onward journey, he said.
Continuous rainfall in Uttarakhand has caused severe disruptions, including the blockage of the National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhaneropani.
The National Highway near Nandprayag is a critical route for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, making the clearance of the road a priority.
In another development, the district authorities in Rudraprayag restricted movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road on Friday due to persistent rainfall.
The road, which serves as a base point for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, was obstructed entirely for the movement of passengers due to continuous debris and stones falling near the Sonprayag shuttle bridge and in the sliding zone area near Munkatiya.
The Kedarnath Dham Yatra pilgrims were halted at Sonprayag and Gaurikund for safety reasons. After the debris was cleared, the movement of pilgrims resumed, Rudraprayag Police said in a statement.
The opening and closing of the road is being controlled, and the movement of passengers is being ensured with extra caution by the concerned working agency, administrative officials and police.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation continued for the second day on the Alaknanda River today to locate missing persons from a bus accident that occurred in Rudraprayag on Thursday. The accident claimed the lives of four people.
The death toll from the incident rose to four after the body of a missing passenger was recovered near the Srinagar dam in Pauri Garhwal, about 40 kilometres from the accident site.
(With inputs from agencies)
First Published:
June 29, 2025, 09:06 IST
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