By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 30 Jun: The Char Dham Yatra has resumed barely 24 hours after it was suspended due to heavy rainfall and landslides across the state. This decision has raised serious questions, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) continues to maintain a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in several districts, including those where the four Char Dham shrines are located. Even temples in Uttarakhand have not been spared from the onslaught of rain and landslides.
While pilgrimages to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri have resumed, the Yamunotri route remains closed for a second consecutive day.
It may be recalled that a cloudburst near Silai Band on Saturday night had washed away a 20-metre stretch of the Yamunotri Highway, stranding hundreds of pilgrims at Syana Chatti. In addition, nine labourers were swept away in the flash flood. While two bodies have been recovered from the Yamuna River in Barkot, search continues for the remaining seven. Rescue operations are ongoing, and efforts to reach a lake formed in the Yamuna River at Syana Chatti have been hindered by poor access for heavy machinery.
Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey had initially suspended the Yatra on 29 June citing adverse conditions. However, this morning, he lifted the restriction after a review. Pandey has stated that the district magistrates concerned have been empowered to decide on local suspensions based on weather conditions. They have also been directed to ensure arrangements for pilgrims at safe locations and to halt vehicles at holding points if necessary.
Significantly, the resumption of the Yatra comes at a time when the Meteorological Department Dehradun has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand, predicting rainfall between 7 and 20 cm in the coming days. While the national IMD has placed several North Indian states under an orange alert, Uttarakhand faces particularly intense weather, with landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers reported from several districts. The state government has shut all schools and Anganwadi centres from Classes 1 to 12 for the day, citing safety concerns.
As per the reports received this evening from Haridwar, the ancient temple at Bhimgoda in Haridwar has been devastated by the rain. The self-manifested (Swayambhu) Shivling situated in the ancient pond of Bhimgoda has been damaged due to debris and falling trees. The temple priest Ratna Lal shared that suddenly in the morning a tree fell from the mountain along with stones. This damaged the Shivling in the pond situated since ancient times along with the temple.
Despite very obvious risks and ongoing disruptions, including blocked roads and missing persons, pilgrim registration has been restored, and the Yatra has resumed in full except for Yamunotri. This raises significant concerns about the timing and wisdom of allowing the pilgrimage to continue while critical infrastructure remains damaged and red alerts persist across the Char Dham districts of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli.
