By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 11 Jul: The Uttarakhand Meteorological Department has issued a comprehensive six-day weather alert today, forecasting persistent rainfall across the state until 17 July. A focused warning has been issued for Nainital and Bageshwar districts, particularly on 14 July, signalling heavy showers accompanied by thunder and lightning in that region.
According to the department’s advisory released today, rainfall activity will intensify in various hill districts tomorrow, with thunder and lightning expected in many places, while other districts may witness scattered showers. The same pattern is likely to persist on 13 July. On 14 July, Nainital and Bageshwar are forecast to experience widespread downpours, while surrounding areas will also see significant rainfall. Subsequently, on 15 and 16 July, most regions across the state are expected to receive moderate to heavy rains. By 17 July, the entire state is likely to witness continued precipitation.
It may be reminded here that the monsoon season, which commenced on 20 June, has already brought unrelenting rains, leading to floods and landslides in several mountainous districts. Overflowing rivers and streams have compounded the crisis, with torrential rains affecting numerous areas and a cloudburst reported in Uttarkashi district.
Due to excessive rainfall and debris accumulation, 106 roads across Uttarakhand are currently reported to be blocked, including two major state highways. Rural roads have suffered the most severe damage, and slow-paced clearing operations are causing prolonged inconvenience for commuters. The Mothrowala-Doodhli road, located merely five kilometres from the Assembly premises, remained shut for four hours following overnight rainfall. Reports from the State Emergency Operations Centre indicate that 179 roads were initially blocked, of which 73 had been cleared by late last evening.
Other severely affected routes include roads in Balawala and Miyawala, where commuters are grappling with poor surfaces riddled with potholes. Residents explain that many travellers opt for the Doodhli-Mothrowala road to avoid the Lachhiwala toll tax, but deteriorating conditions are causing considerable distress, prompting calls for urgent repair and maintenance before the situation worsens further.
In fact, the persistent rains have affected the footfall at the Char Dham shrines as well. With the onset of the monsoon, the pace of the Char Dham Yatra has noticeably slowed down. Over the past week, a steady decline has been recorded in the number of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath daily. The reduced pilgrimage has also significantly affected commercial activities in Kedarghaati’s markets, halting points, and in Kedarpuri.
This year, in the month of May alone, 6,96,934 devotees visited the Kedarnath shrine. In June, the number stood at over 6.18 lakh. However, with the monsoon gaining strength, the Rudraprayag–Gaurikund highway and the Gaurikund–Kedarnath pedestrian route have faced repeated disruptions, adversely impacting the pilgrimage.
In the first ten days of July, only around 30,000 pilgrims have managed to reach Kedarnath. On Wednesday, merely 1,165 devotees paid obeisance at the shrine, marking the lowest single-day footfall of the season.
