Dehra Dun: The national highways leading to
Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri were on Sunday hit by fresh
landslides following rains at various places disrupting the
pilgrimage, officials said.
However, the yatra to Yamunotri temple is open for
pilgrims, they added.
Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway is blocked due to
landslides near Joshimath, while Kedarnath route is disrupted
at Sirobagad due to falling of boulders from a hilltop.
Similarly, a day after being reopened after remaining
closed for 12 days, Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway has
been again struck by fresh landslides at Sukhitop and Bhatwari
blocking vehicular traffic completely.
The officials said BRO and police personnel have been
deployed to clear the debris and reopen the roads for traffic.
The heavy rains early this week wrecked havoc in
Uttarakhand where over 20 people died due to rains during the
period prompting the Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
to appeal to the pilgrims and tourists planning to come to the
state to suspend their yatra for a week.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 20:25