16 hours ago
Kedarnath Dham yatra suspended after landslides damage trek route
Mussoorie: The Kedarnath Dham Yatra was suspended on Sunday till further notice after landslides near Junglechatti and Bhimbali damaged the trekking route, blocking the movement of pilgrims from Sonprayag. Officials from the Emergency Operations Centre in Rudraprayag issued an urgent alert, confirming that the route had been rendered unsafe due to debris and boulder falls triggered by a seasonal stream (gadera).
According to Vinay Jhinkwan, Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD), Guptkashi, the landslides led to the accumulation of mud and boulders on the path. The trek route was temporarily closed to ensure the safety of pilgrims who had already set out and those on the pedestrian trail. 'PWD teams were deployed to clear the debris and have managed to restore movement to some extent, but full clearance is still underway,' he said.
Currently, pilgrims returning from Kedarnath have been allowed to proceed towards Sonprayag, but upward movement towards the shrine remains halted. The authorities will resume the yatra only after complete restoration and safety verification of the route.
Pilgrims have been advised to stay in nearby hotels or safe accommodations. With continued rainfall forecasted across the region, officials urged travellers to follow official advisories and weather updates closely while planning the Char Dham Yatra.
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In Dehradun district, landslides also caused road blockages on the Purkul-Bhitarli Kimari stretch and Maldevta-Ghuttu Gandakpani rural road. Rishab Kumar, District Disaster Management Officer, said that of the four blocked roads, two have been reopened, while work continues on the remaining ones. Uprooted trees briefly blocked traffic at Jakhan, ITBP Seema Dwar, and Racecourse Road, but were cleared swiftly.
Electricity lines were damaged after getting entangled in fallen trees, resulting in sparking incidents. Power department teams responded quickly to restore services.
Heavy rains also triggered local flooding in Clement Town, Banjarawala, Canal Road, and Old Rajpur Road, prompting swift relief actions by the departments concerned.
In Pauri, District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan placed all tehsils on high alert. In Champawat, a road stretch near Chalthi Bridge partially caved in. Officials have begun immediate repair and safety work, said Devendra Patwal, District Disaster Management Officer.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dehradun centre has issued an orange alert from Monday to Wednesday, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (40–50 kmph) in Nainital, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Champawat, and Rudraprayag. Lighter storms are also expected in other parts of the state.
Bikram Singh, Director of IMD Dehradun, said the rain activity is part of pre-monsoon showers and will likely continue till June 19. The official monsoon arrival date will be announced soon.
Uttarakhand received 3.5 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, with Bageshwar recording 27.6 mm, Chamoli 14.6 mm, Rudraprayag 0.8 mm, and Uttarkashi 0.4 mm, according to IMD data.
The yatra remains suspended until further notice as safety remains the top priority, said officials .
