• Source:JND
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JE News Desk: The national highway of Badrinath was blocked on Thursday in the aftermath of a landslide caused by heavy rain near Chhinka in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. The incident left hundreds of pilgrims stranded.

According to the officials cited by the news agency PTI, the stranded pilgrims included those on their way to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib.

The national highway leading to Badrinath was blocked by a mountain of debris that had gathered on the highway in the wake of the landslip near Chhinka, informed the officials, adding that it resulted to a huge traffic jam on the road leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded.

The official mentioned that efforts are on to clear the rubble and restore traffic along the route at the earliest. The stranded pilgrims have received drinking water and snacks from the Chamoli authorities. Several places in Chamoli had been lashed by heavy rains on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the monsoon, which is now in its advanced stage is active in the country according to the weather department in India, and several states are expected to receive heavy rainfall in the coming few days.

Naresh Kumar, senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said, "Monsoon is in its advanced stage and is active. We can see clouds over Kokan, Goa, Central India, as well as Northeastern states."

He also predicted heavy rainfall in east and northeast India over the next five days.

"East and Northeast India is expected to receive heavy rainfall in the next five days, due to moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal," the IMD scientist said.

Several parts of Navsari, Gujarat have also received waterlogging due to heavy rainfall in the region on Thursday afternoon. As per IMD predictions, heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over the Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, and Dadra Nagar Haveli districts of the Gujarat region for the rest of the day.

Heavy rain lashed several isolated areas of Delhi-NCR this morning bringing down the minimum temperature to 27.1 degrees Celsius. Some parts of the national capital witnessed waterlogging after the rainfall.

As per IMD, the city is expected to experience a cloudy sky with light to moderate rain and thundershowers on Thursday.

(With agency inputs)