Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 5 Jul: The Yamunotri Highway has remained closed for the past seven days, severely impacting travel. While movement has resumed at Silai Bend and Banas, the 25-metre section washed away at Ojri continues to pose a major challenge for the NH Department and the administration.
It may be reminded here that the life in Uttarakhand has been severely affected by the heavy rainfall over the past few days. Major highways and rural roads are consistently disrupted due to landslides and debris, making travel difficult. There was some respite from the rain on Saturday.
Although efforts have begun for the construction of a Bailey bridge at Ojri, it is expected to take approximately another week. Meanwhile, the Gangotri Highway is operational, but continuous rainfall is causing persistent trouble at Netala, Papargad, Bishanpur, and Helgugad.
On the Gangotri Highway, a roughly 25-metre section of the road near Papargad in Bhatwari once again caved in, halting traffic for about eight hours. The Gangotri Highway could only be reopened after 2:30 PM.
In Chamoli district, traffic on the Badrinath Highway was disrupted for about two hours on Friday morning due to debris at the Ummatta landslide zone. This area has been a persistent landslide nuisance for over a year, affecting local hotel owner Ashish Dimri’s family, who have accused NHIDCL of negligence. NHIDCL Manager Ankit Rana stated that debris is being cleared, and safety work will be planned after the monsoon.
The extent of the landslide zone at Ummatta on the Badrinath Highway is expanding. Landslides from the top of the hill frequently obstruct the highway, leading to repeated traffic disruptions. District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari stated that discussions would be held with NHIDCL officials to fully restore the highway. Traffic will be diverted for some time in the future to facilitate debris disposal, ensuring that common people and pilgrims face no inconvenience during this period. The Badrish Hotel in Ummatta is now at the edge of the landslide. If boulders fall from the hill, the hotel could be damaged. Three days prior, a landslide had resulted in debris entering both sides of the hotel. District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari informed that the SDM has been instructed to conduct a ground inspection of the landslide area on Saturday. If the landslide intensifies, pilgrims will be prohibited from staying at the hotel.
Ratgaon, the largest village in the Sol region with a population of four thousand, remains cut off for the 12th consecutive day. Residents are still confined to their homes. While there is no current shortage of rations in the village, health-related difficulties have emerged. There are over 20 ailing elderly individuals and 9 pregnant women in the village.
In other affected areas, traffic on the Simli-Gwaldam Highway was halted for six hours near Harmuni due to a landslide, which was later cleared by BRO. The Dewal-Tharali road remained closed for 11 hours at Nandkesari. Several rural roads under Narayanbagad, Karnaprayag, and Mori blocks also closed due to debris or subsidence. Movement on some roads is still disrupted. The Karnaprayag-Nainisain Motor Road will also remain closed for three days near ITI due to a retaining wall collapse, with an alternative route being used.
