Over 189 roads remain blocked in U’khand
By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Uttarkashi, 11 Sep: A 200-metre stretch of the road linking Phulchatti to Jankichatti, along the Yamunotri Highway, has been completely washed away by the Yamuna River, casting doubt over early resumption of the Yamunotri pilgrimage. Besides this, the road at Jangalchatti has remained blocked for the past 18 days, while the routes near Badiya and Silai Bend continue to face frequent closures.
Although the administration has been assuring pilgrims of a smooth and safe Yamunotri yatra, the second phase of the pilgrimage after the monsoon remains uncertain at present in view of the challenges. Several portions of the Yamunotri highway between Silai Bend below Badiya and Hanuman Chatti to Phulchatti have been rendered unsafe.
National Highway Assistant Engineer Dheeraj Gupta claimed that, in case the conditions turn favourable, the highway up to Phulchatti can be expected to be repaired and reopened for vehicular movement within the next two days. On the damaged stretch beyond Phulchatti, Public Works Department Executive Engineer Tanuj Kamboj stated that restoration work is underway, and the road would soon be handed over to the National Highways Authority.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for rain across all hill districts of Uttarakhand, forecasting light showers accompanied by thunderstorms. Rain is also expected in the plains, including Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar. Meteorologist Rohit Thapliyal stated that light to moderate rainfall is likely in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Nainital, and Champawat. He added that following two to three days of clear weather, temperatures in Dehradun have risen, with the maximum recorded at 33 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 24.5 degrees in past 24 hours.
Significantly, out of 288 roads in the state that had been reported to be closed due to incessant rain and landslides, only 101 were reopened today. As many as 187 routes remain blocked across the state, including 20 in Tehri, 31 in Chamoli, 23 in Rudraprayag, 18 in Pauri, 22 in Uttarkashi, 14 in Dehradun, one in Haridwar, 22 in Pithoragarh, 23 in Almora, seven in Bageshwar, and six in Nainital. No roads are currently closed in Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts. The continued closures are causing serious inconvenience to the public, while the PWD has deployed 671 JCB machines to clear the routes.
