By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Pithoragarh, 19 Aug: A major landslide and falling boulders damaged the Koolagarh bridge on the Dharchula-Tawaghat National Highway in Pithoragarh district this morning, disrupting traffic on the strategically important route and raising concerns over the movement of pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has reached the affected site and has started work on a diversion to restore vehicular movement.
The incident occurred after rocks and large boulders came crashing down from the mountainside onto the highway, damaging the Koolagarh bridge. The bridge is an important link on the Dharchula-Tawaghat road, which provides connectivity to the forward border areas of Pithoragarh and also forms part of the route used for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Following the damage, movement on the highway has been affected and authorities have begun efforts to establish an alternative route.
The BRO shared that a diversion is being prepared to facilitate traffic after the damage to the bridge. According to the agency, efforts are being made to complete the diversion late this evening, following which traffic movement will be restored subject to the condition of the road and safety assessment at the site. BRO personnel and machinery have been deployed for the restoration work.
The damage to the bridge has assumed additional significance because of the ongoing Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. It may be reminded here that the ninth batch of pilgrims is scheduled to return to India from the pilgrimage route today itself. The batch comprises 48 pilgrims, besides three cooks from Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) accompanying the group. Officials and agencies associated with the pilgrimage are keeping a close watch on the situation so that the disruption on the route does not affect the safe movement of the pilgrims.
At the same time, the 10th batch of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is presently in Tibet and is expected to enter India on 23 August. The batch comprises 44 pilgrims and is accompanied by three KMVN cooks. With further batches scheduled to return through the region, the condition of the Dharchula-Tawaghat route and the availability of a safe alternative passage have become a matter of immediate concern for the administration and agencies involved in the yatra arrangements.
