U'khand: Landslides disrupt Kedarnath, Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimages amid downpour alert

Dehradun, July 18 (PTI) Landslides after heavy rain disrupted Uttarakhand's two major pilgrimages on Saturday, suspending horse-mule services on the Kedarnath route and halting a batch of Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims, as the IMD warned of extremely heavy rainfall across the state. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) directed all district magistrates to take precautionary measures after the Dehradun-based Meteorological Centre forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across parts of the state. The IMD has issued a "red" alert for Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar for Sunday, warning of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places. An "orange" alert has been issued for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar and Bageshwar, with forecasts of heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and intense spells, while a "yellow" warning is in place for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Almora and Pithoragarh. A red alert has been issued for Dehradun, Haridwar and Tehri for July 20 as isolated places in those areas are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall. An orange alert has also been issued for Nainital, Uttarkashi and Pauri. On July 21, Dehradun and Bageshwar will remain under an orange alert, while Tehri, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Chamoli and Pithoragarh are under a yellow alert. A yellow alert has also been issued for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh on July 22, with thunderstorms, lightning and spells of heavy rain expected to continue across most parts of the state. The adverse weather has already affected pilgrimage routes. The Kedarnath pedestrian track between Gaurikund and Kedarnath was blocked on Friday after boulders and debris crashed down from a hillside. While rescue teams quickly cleared the debris and reopen the track for pedestrians, horse-mule and doli (palanquin) services remain suspended, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said. In Pithoragarh district, the fourth batch of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, comprising 50 pilgrims, has been halted at the Dharchula base camp after a landslide at Garbadhar blocked the Gunji route, base camp in-charge Dhan Singh Bisht said. State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said all district magistrates have been instructed to maintain heightened vigil in vulnerable areas, keep District Emergency Operation Centres functional round the clock, place relief and rescue teams on standby, and ensure the availability of machinery and other resources on landslide-prone routes. He also appealed to Char Dham pilgrims, tourists and residents to avoid unnecessary travel, check weather forecasts and road conditions before setting out, and stay away from rivers, streams, gadheras (seasonal water channels) and waterlogged areas during heavy rain. PTI DPT NB