Over 1,000 pilgrims rescued in U'khand

Over 1,000 stranded pilgrims have been rescued as <g data-gr-id="19">pilgrimage</g> to Badrinath and Sikh shrine Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district remained disrupted for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.

However, clear sky in most parts of the state came as a relief for the Harish Rawat government. 

Sources said the Char Dham Yatra, especially to Badrinath and <g data-gr-id="18">Kadarnath</g>, will resume soon. 

Taking lessons from the 2013 catastrophe, the government acted promptly this time. The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway (NH-58) is still obstructed at Hanumanchatti and <g data-gr-id="25">Lambagad</g> and Border Roads Organisation workers are working round-the-clock to reconstruct 100m stretch that got washed away on Friday. 

Around 1,500 pilgrims reached Govindghat from Badrinath on foot. Over 300 were airlifted from Hemkund Sahib and dropped safely at Joshimath on Sunday. The SDRF and ITBP teams carried out rescue operations at Badrinath highway and rescued over 1,000 pilgrims on the Hemkund route. “The Kedarnath yatra has been suspended till June 30 as a precautionary measure. No pilgrim is stranded and Char Dham Yatra has not been stopped,”  said Rawat.