Dehra Dun: Rishikesh-Badrinath highway in
Vishnuprayag area of Uttarakhand was today reopened for light
vehicles after a two-day closure while pilgrimage to Gangotri
and Yamunotri remained suspended due to fresh landslides
triggered by heavy rains.
Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, which was blocked at
Vishnuprayag and Pandukeshwar due to landslides that also
destroyed parts of the road on Monday, was reopened for light
motor vehicles, Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre
(DMMC) sources here said.
However, it would take a couple of days more to reopen it
for big vehicles as personnel of police, BRO and ITBP are
working hard to repair the roads, they said.
After the reopening of road for light vehicles, the
pilgrims have started returning from Badrinath area, they
said.
The authorities had suspended the pilgrimage to Badrinath
on Monday after landslides hit the highway on Vishnuprayag and
Pandukeshwar.
On the other hand, the pilgrimage to Gangotri and
Yamunotri shrine remained suspended after fresh landslides
following heavy rains hit Bhatwari and Banas area blocking the
vehicular traffic.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 21:29