Rain fury: Landslides block over 100 roads in Uttarakhand, hit Kedar yatra | India News

DEHRADUN/BAGESHWAR: Landslides triggered by heavy and steady rainfall throughout Uttarakhand have blocked roads at a number of locations, disrupting regular life and severely affecting the Char Dham yatra. As per information from State Emergency Operation Centre, 113 roads, together with two nationwide highways, have been blocked on Thursday. Chamoli district reported the very best variety of highway blockades at 23, adopted by Pithoragarh with 22.The Kedarnath yatra was quickly halted Thursday morning after a landslide struck the essential Sonprayag-Gaurikund route close to Mankutia round 10pm the earlier night time, stranding over 40 pilgrims coming back from the shrine. The State Disaster Response Force evacuated the pilgrims by opening a short lived passage by way of the particles.Officials mentioned the broken stretch was not match for vehicular motion, prompting authorities to divert incoming pilgrims to safer areas. Road restoration efforts are at present underway.“Munkatiya sliding zone and the small parking area near Gaurikund is now open for pedestrian use,” mentioned a district police officer.Officials, nevertheless, cautioned that with extra rainfall anticipated, the route stays hazardous and suggested travellers to proceed with warning. The regional (*100*) centre reported average to heavy rainfall at a number of locations throughout the state over the previous 24 hours, retaining catastrophe response groups on alert.The monsoon additionally adversely impacted pilgrim footfall. While the Char Dham yatra witnessed a each day footfall of over 50,000 devotees only a few weeks in the past, the numbers have now sharply declined to round 14,000 to fifteen,000 per day. Kedarnath alone, which was recording over 20,000 guests each day, noticed the quantity drop to simply over 4,000 in current days. Meanwhile, in Bageshwar, over 300 households stay in danger resulting from unstable terrain, particularly in Kapkot, the place villagers are demanding they be evacuated. Diwan Singh, a resident of Kharbagad village, mentioned, “The hill above is collapsing, and river below is eroding the land. Our village is under the shadow of disaster. We have already suffered significant damage in the recent rains and are left with nowhere to go.”Kapkot SDM Anil Rawat acknowledged the vulnerability of the area. “While the situation is currently under control, this entire region is geologically sensitive. The exact condition of Kharbagad will be known only after a detailed geoscientific study, to be conducted soon.”