Downpour disrupts Char Dham Yatra

The first monsoon showers disrupted the ongoing Char Dham yatra on Thursday, with the Ganga and its tributaries have been overflowing for the past 24 hours.

Light to moderate rains lashed Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri, <g data-gr-id="32">Pittoragarh</g> and Dharchula regions late Wednesday night.

For two hours, pilgrimage remained halted at Joshimath and <g data-gr-id="37">Givindhghat</g> in Chamoli district. The Badrinath highway was also shut for a few hours at four places from Pandukehswar upwards. 

Similarly, Hemkund Sahib yatra also halted for a couple of hours.  

At Kedarnath, over 1,500 pilgrims had to wait for the sky to clear at Gaurikund, Lincholi and Sonprayag stopovers.

The district administration claims to be keeping a close watch on the situation and managing tourists’ movement. Villagers, living near river banks, have been warned of river overflowing and landslides. 

Meanwhile, residents of the state capital cheered as the rain brought down the mercury level. 

In the Kumaon region, moderate rainfall was reported in Almora, Dharchula and Champawat. In Nainital, most tourists remained in hotels and enjoyed <g data-gr-id="33">first</g> spell of monsoon rain from windows and balconies. 

Almora recorded 22mm <g data-gr-id="30">rain,</g> while Ranikhet and Munsiyari recorded 35 mm and 34 mm rain, respectively.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that  the Char Dham yatra has not been halted, but pilgrims were relocated to safer places due rough weather. 

He added that <g data-gr-id="36">hassle-free</g> pilgrimage would continue as soon as the weather improves. All district magistrates posted in higher altitude areas have been instructed to clear the obstructed highways/roads as early as possible.