Chardham Yatra Halted Due To Heavy Rains, Red Alert In Uttarakhand

Incessant rains lashed Uttarakhand for another consecutive day on Monday, prompting the administrations to advise Chardham pilgrims not to proceed to the Himalayan temples till the weather improves.

Pilgrims headed for Yamunotri have been asked to stay in Badkot and Jankichatti, whereas those enrooted to Gangotri have been asked to stay in Harsil, Bhatwari, and Maneri, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit told PTI.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Occupants of a car that was stuck at the swollen Lambagad nallah near Badrinath National Highway, due to incessant rainfall in the region, was rescued by BRO (Border Roads Organisation) yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ACek12nzwF

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021

Kedarnath and Badrinath-bound pilgrims have also been requested not to proceed on their trip till the weather clears. Utmost of the pilgrims on way to Badrinath are staying in Joshimath and Chamoli, Chamoli district disaster management officer N K Joshi said.

Around Yatris headed for Kedarnath have been stopped in Linchauli and Bhimbali as a preventative measure, Rudraprayag disaster management officer N S Singh said.

The Chardham Devasthanam Board said the yatra has been temporarily halted for the sake of the safety of pilgrims in view of the heavy rain alert issued by the Uttarakhand meteorological department for October 17-19.

The peaks beyond Badrinath and Kedarnath received light snowfall, whereas the lower areas in Chamoli district were lashed by nonstop showers. The rain continued in Uttarkashi and Dehradun as well.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the phone to get an update on preventative steps being taken by the state government in view of the heavy rain alert and assured him of all possible help.

Dhami has asked the district administrations to give hourly updates on the rainfall and the condition of roads. He also asked them to keep a minimal response time in case of a disaster.

(With Inputs From PTI)

Also Read: Sikkim Lifts Covid-19 Restrictions On Inter-State Travel