Heavy to very heavy rain alert puts Chardham Yatra on hold

Officials urge devotees not to start for the Chardham yatra beyond Rishikesh on July 7

Dehradun: The Chardham yatra was temporarily suspended on Sunday in view of the weather department’s prediction of heavy to very heavy rains in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand on July 7-8.

Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said it has been decided to postpone the Yatra for the safety of pilgrims. In view of the weather department’s prediction of heavy rains in Garhwal division on July 7-8, all devotees are urged not to start for the Chardham yatra beyond Rishikesh on July 7, he said.

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Those who have already proceeded on the pilgrimage should wait wherever they are until the weather clears to resume their onward journey, he said.

Heavy rains in various parts of Uttarakhand over the past few days has triggered landslides in the hills with the highway going to Badrinath blocked at a number of points by the rubble falling from the hills.

Two pilgrims from Hyderabad were killed on Saturday after being hit by boulders falling from the hillside in the wake of a landslide near Chatwapeepal area of Karnaprayag in Chamoli district. They were returning from Badrinath on a motorcycle when they met with the accident.

The rivers of Uttarakhand are also in spate with the Alaknanda flowing near the danger mark at Vishnu Prayag near Joshimath. The Alaknanda merges with Dhauli Ganga at Vishnu Prayag.