Garhwal Post Bureau
Rudraprayag, 16 Aug: The situation in Uttarakhand’s hill districts remains precarious due to incessant rainfall, which continues to disrupt normal life and pose grave risks to pilgrims and travellers alike. The Kedarnath trekking route, which stretches 19 kilometres from Gauri Kund till Kedarnath, has turned perilous with frequent boulder falls from the surrounding hills, endangering the lives of devotees undertaking the sacred journey.
On Saturday morning, a tragic incident occurred when a pilgrim from Maharashtra lost his life after being struck by a falling boulder on the Kedarnath trekking path. The accident took place near Chhauri Gadhera, approximately one kilometre above Gauri Kund. At around 10 a.m., the Gauri Kund police outpost received information that a pilgrim had been fatally injured by a stone dislodged from the hillside. The deceased was identified as Parmeshwar Bhim Rao Khawal, son of Bhim Rao Khawal, aged 38, and a resident of Lane Number 68, 4/B, Vadgaon Kolhati, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The Yatra Management Force, along with the police, promptly transported the body to Gauri Kund hospital, where necessary formalities were undertaken by the district administration.
It may be recalled that the Kedarnath Yatra had been suspended until 14 August due to the persistent downpour and the hazardous conditions along the trekking route. Despite the official closure, several pilgrims insisted on proceeding from Sonprayag, compelling the police to intervene with a lathi charge to prevent further risk. As the Yatra resumed on 15 August, hundreds of devotees began their ascent, unaware of the looming danger that would soon claim a life.
Meanwhile, travel along the region’s highways remains treacherous. Continuous rainfall has led to landslides and fall of boulders and debris at multiple points on the Badrinath and Kedarnath highways, turning short journeys into hours-long ordeals. The pilgrims and the tourists are facing severe inconvenience due to prolonged road closures and are left stunned by the alarming scenes of hills crumbling onto the roads. The unpredictability of falling debris has rendered highway travel extremely dangerous, with no certainty as to when or where disaster may strike.
The district administration continues to monitor the situation closely, urging caution and restraint from pilgrims and travellers until weather conditions stabilise and safety can be assured.
