The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has been suspended for two days amid forecasts of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and ‘red’ and ‘orange’ weather alerts across several districts, officials said.
The yatra will be suspended from the afternoon of Saturday, September 26, till the evening of Sunday, September 27. District magistrates have been asked to make arrangements for suspension of the yatra in their districts, said Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop.
The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to protect pilgrims travelling to the Himalayan shrines from across India and abroad. The yatra will resume once weather conditions improve and normalise, according to the directive.
Red Alert In Five Districts
The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red’ alert for heavy rainfall in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar for Saturday.
Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora are under an ‘orange’ alert, while Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri have been placed under a ‘yellow’ alert.
The weather situation is expected to remain challenging on Sunday as well. Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar are under a ‘red’ alert, while Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag are under an ‘orange’ alert. Bageshwar, Almora, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh have been issued a ‘yellow’ alert.
Heavy Rain Raises Landslide, Flooding Concerns
The weather department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain at a few places, with extremely heavy rain likely at isolated places. Landslides and clogging of roads are likely to occur in hilly areas, while streams and rivers will swell.
Waterlogging is also prevalent in the plains, and the government has asked residents and tourists to be cautious and avoid any non-essential travel.
The chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Friday directed the officers to be on high alert in view of the weather alerts. He also appealed to residents and visitors to check the current weather and road status before leaving their homes, and to go out only for essential work.
Additionally, Dhami urged people not to cross water bodies, seasonal water channels and waterlogged areas during heavy rains, especially if the water is flowing fast.
People passing through mountain roads have also been told to be cautious while travelling on the fragile roads and landslide-prone areas. The chief minister also asked the parents to keep their children away from water bodies, streams and other such places of danger in these trying weather conditions.