By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
RUDRAPRAYAG, 26 Jul: The Kedarnath Dham Yatra has been suspended once again following a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall near the Gaurikund pedestrian route. The disruption has forced the administration to temporarily halt the pilgrimage on early Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 3:30 am in the wee hours of Saturday when large boulders descended onto the pathway, completely obstructing pedestrian movement and leaving several pilgrims stranded, both those headed towards Kedarnath Dham and those returning from it. Swift action was undertaken by personnel from the SDRF and NDRF along with disaster management forces, who laboured continuously to clear the path. By around 1 pm, the way was made sufficiently passable to escort returning pilgrims safely to Gaurikund.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshay Prahlad Konde confirmed that the Yatara has been suspended, adding that the pedestrian route had to be closed for safety reasons due to the severity of the landslide. He added that the security forces, assisted by PWD labourers, managed to remove the boulders and restore temporary access. While those returning from Kedarnath were guided through the cleared path, fresh movement from Gaurikund towards Kedarnath has been put on hold until the entire route is cleared and then declared safe for travel. Konde added that the police, SDRF, NDRF and other response teams are stationed at the site to monitor the situation and ensure no further risks to pilgrims.
Rudraprayag district continues to reel under relentless rainfall that has disrupted normal life across several villages. Beru Bagad and Chameli ke Bagad Dhar Tok in the Augustyamuni block bore the brunt of the deluge, with hours of incessant downpour resulting in widespread waterlogging and debris entering households. Terrified by the severity of the rain overnight, residents spent the night in fear as multiple homes were buried under debris and several vehicles sustained damage. The administrative officials are currently at the scene, conducting a detailed assessment of the damages and formulating relief measures.
Meanwhile according to the state government, relief and rescue operations have been underway on a war footing since 6 am to manage the situation arising from extremely heavy rainfall in various parts of Rudraprayag district. Secretary Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, shared that by 4 pm on Saturday 1,600 pilgrims from Kedarnath Dham have been evacuated to safe location. There have been no reports of human or animal casualties in the incident. He added that the CM was fully briefed on the situation and has instructed that relief and rescue operations be conducted swiftly, with utmost care for pilgrim safety. The CM has also directed that all necessary assistance be immediately provided to villagers in disaster-affected areas.
Suman informed that between approximately 1 am and 4 am on Saturday, heavy debris and water inundated some buildings, cowsheds, toilets, and link roads in the villages of Chameli, Roomsi, Chamarara Tok, and Vijaynagar in Rudraprayag Tehsil, due to the overflowing Saunri Gadera and Bedu Bagad Nala. Around 8 to 10 buildings have been submerged in debris.
Suman also stated that as soon as information was received by the State and District Emergency Operations Centres, relief and rescue teams were immediately notified and dispatched to the affected areas. Given the severity of the incident, teams from the Disaster Management Department, along with the Revenue Department, Public Works Department, Police Department, and Health Department, began relief and rescue work from 6 am. Debris removal is being carried out rapidly in the affected areas with the help of JCBs and other resources. Villagers, livestock, and other affected individuals have been moved to safe locations. Local administration has established relief camps to ensure safe accommodation, food, medical care, and essential services.
Separately, at approximately 4 am, information was received about heavy boulders and debris covering an area of about 30 metres on the Kedarnath Yatra route, approximately 50 metres from Ghoraparao in Gaurikund. Immediately, teams from the District Administration, NDRF, SDRF, and other concerned departments commenced relief operations. Pilgrims were evacuated safely by creating an alternative route. So far, approximately 1,600 pilgrims have been safely evacuated from the Kedarnath side, and operations to evacuate around 700 more pilgrims are ongoing. Work to open the closed routes is also proceeding on a war footing. If the weather remains favourable, all routes are expected to be opened soon.
The State Emergency Operations Centre is continuously monitoring the entire situation. The Secretary Disaster Management and Rehabilitation personally reviewed the progress of relief efforts and directed all concerned agencies to ensure there are no shortcomings in relief and rehabilitation work. The CM is also monitoring the relief operation.
