Garhwal Post Bureau
Chamoli, 10 Apr: Preparations for the Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra have once again been disrupted due to continuing bad weather in the hills. After the recent heavy rainfall had already slowed down the preparations, clear skies and bright sunshine have now triggered a fresh challenge with the hills beginning to crumble.
Today, massive boulders near Pinola suddenly fell from the hill onto the Badrinath National Highway, bringing traffic to a complete halt and causing severe inconvenience to travellers.
Fortunately, no vehicle was caught under the debris and the administration responded swiftly by deploying heavy machinery to the site. Work to clear the highway has been taken up on a war footing, and officials estimated that the route would be restored soon. After nearly two hours of strenuous effort, traffic movement was resumed, though authorities advised pilgrims and commuters to remain cautious.
Speaking to the media, District Magistrate (DM) Gaurav Kumar confirmed that the highway had been made fully operational for vehicular movement. The DM personally inspected the affected stretch of the Badrinath Highway and directed the officials to remove any remaining obstructions or debris from the road. He acknowledged that challenges persist in the hills, as sudden landslides often block the highway, but asserted that immediate efforts are always made to reopen the route.
The recent spell of rain and snowfall has already impacted preparations for the Char Dham Yatra. At Kedarnath, thick layers of snow have once again accumulated on the pedestrian route. The labourers are still engaged in clearing the path.
It may be recalled that The Char Dham Yatra is scheduled to officially begin with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on 19 April. This will be followed by the opening of Kedarnath on 22 April and finally Badrinath on 23 April. The administration is racing against time to ensure that all routes are safe and accessible for the thousands of pilgrims expected to undertake the sacred journey.
