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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
Rain fury: Landslides block over 100 roads in U'khand, Kedar yatra halted
1 2 3 4 5 6 Dehradun/Bageshwar: Landslides triggered by heavy and continuous rainfall across Uttarakhand have blocked roads at several places, disrupting normal life and severely affecting the Char Dham yatra. As per data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 113 roads, including two national highways, were blocked on Thursday. Chamoli district reported the highest number of road blockades at 23, followed by Pithoragarh with 22. The Kedarnath yatra was temporarily halted on Thursday morning after a landslide struck the crucial Sonprayag–Gaurikund route near Mankutia around 10 pm the previous night, stranding over 40 pilgrims returning from the shrine. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) evacuated the pilgrims by opening a temporary passage through the debris. Officials said the damaged stretch was not fit for movement of vehicles, prompting the authorities to divert incoming pilgrims to safer locations. Road restoration efforts are underway and by Thursday noon, pedestrian movement was partially restored. "The Munkatiya Sliding Zone and the small parking area near Gaurikund are now open for pedestrian use," said a district police officer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tinnitus: what this grandson discovered will surprise you Hearing Magazine Undo Officials, however, cautioned that with more rainfall expected, the route remains hazardous and advised travellers to proceed with extreme caution. The regional meteorological centre reported moderate to heavy rainfall at several places across the state over the past 24 hours, keeping disaster response teams on alert. The monsoon has also adversely impacted pilgrim footfall. While the Char Dham yatra witnessed a daily footfall of over 50,000 devotees just a few weeks ago, the numbers have now sharply declined to around 14,000 to 15,000 per day. Kedarnath alone, which was recording over 20,000 visitors daily, saw the number drop to just over 4,000 in recent days. Since the start of this year's yatra on April 30 and till July 2, a total of 37.5 lakh pilgrims have visited the four shrines. On July 1, a total of 17,000 pilgrims visited the Char Dham shrines, with 7,391 at Kedarnath and 5,275 at Badrinath. Brijesh Sati, general secretary of Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, said, "The arrival of the monsoon and the opening of schools are the two major reasons behind the decline in numbers." Sati also cited weather-related damage to yatra routes as another key factor. "The yatra will again gain pace after Sept 15, and the chopper services will also resume around that time," he added. Meanwhile, in Bageshwar, over 300 families remain at risk due to unstable terrain, especially in Kapkot tehsil, where villagers are demanding that they be evacuated. Diwan Singh, a resident of Kharbagad village, said, "The hill above is collapsing, and the river below is eroding the land. Our village now under the shadow of disaster. We have already suffered significant damage in the recent rains and are left with nowhere to go. " Harish Aithani, a local leader, said, "The terrain in this area is unstable. Most houses are now in the high-risk zone. The administration needs to take this seriously before it's too late." Kapkot SDM Anil Singh Rawat acknowledged the vulnerability of the region. "While the situation is currently under control, this entire region is geologically sensitive. The exact condition of Kharbagad will be known only after a detailed geoscientific study, to be conducted soon." As per the Bageshwar District Disaster Management Plan 2024–25, a total of 357 families from 25 villages are marked for relocation—116 of these fall under the "extremely sensitive" category. District disaster management officer Shikha Suyal said relocation efforts have begun at the tehsil level. "Currently, two families from Shama and three from Kathani are in the initial stages of the relocation process," she said. Environmental activist Ramesh Krishak criticised the slow pace of intervention by the authorities. "Many affected families are still wandering from office to office for help. If your idea of development involves tearing down the mountains instead of preserving them, how can you protect the people who live here?" he asked.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Deity displeased': Amid spate of accidents, priests urge govt to halt chopper petal showers on Badri shrine
Dehradun: Priests urged the govt to respect religious traditions and halt helicopter-based petal showers over Badrinath, following three chopper-related incidents within ten days during the Char Dham yatra. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They argued that such acts "disrupt the sanctity of the shrine and could provoke divine displeasure". Brijesh Sati, general secretary of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, told TOI, "We respect the technical and scientific reasons behind a mishap, but at the same time, one should not ignore religious beliefs. We strongly opposed the flying of a chopper over Badrinath on May 4, when the portals of the shrine were opened. Lord Badrinath is in a meditative pose, and loud noise should not be allowed. People have great faith in the almighty; therefore, they come here. No such act should be performed that can anger or annoy the almighty." He added, "Our simple request to the govt is to avoid any such act for publicity which is not in accordance with tradition. There are other ways of publicity." He also cited a recent emergency landing by a chopper at Ukhimath due to bad weather, emphasizing the need to consider both technical and religious aspects of such operations. Umesh Sati, head of the Brahma Kapal Teerth Purohit Panchayat Samiti, echoed the same sentiment. "Rather than flowers, tulsi is offered to Lord Badrinath, but flower petals were being showered on pilgrims from choppers, which was against religious beliefs and traditions," he said. "It was pointless to shower flower petals on the almighty or the devotees when tulsi is offered to Badrinath," he added. On May 8, a helicopter operated by AeroTrans Services Private Limited crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. The aircraft, en route to the Gangotri shrine, fell into a 200-250 metre deep gorge. Preliminary investigations suggest the rotor blades may have struck telephone cables during a controlled emergency landing attempt. On May 12, a helicopter blade struck a vehicle at the Badrinath helipad, narrowly avoiding a major accident.
News18
26-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
77 Pakistanis Won't Participate In Char Dham Pilgrimage Following Pahalgam Terror Attack
Last Updated: Over 24,000 Hindus settled abroad registered for the Char Dham pilgrimage starting April 30 The 77 Pakistani Hindus who expressed interest in participating in the Char Dham pilgrimage won't be able to visit now. This comes after India imposed visa restrictions on Pakistani nationals amid growing tension between the two countries following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Every year, lakhs of Hindu pilgrims come to Uttarakhand to visit four revered shrines: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. Besides, Sikh pilgrims too visit Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara. Hindu and Sikh pilgrims have to register on the Uttarakhand government portal. As per details available, till April 26, around 21 lakh pilgrims, mostly from India, and around 24,000 from foreign nations have registered for the Char Dham pilgrimage. Among these, Hindus and Sikhs settled in Muslim-majority nations have shown interest in the Char Dham pilgrimage. 640 pilgrims from Afghanistan, 77 from Pakistan, 451 from Algeria, 326 from Bangladesh, four from Iraq, 27 from Kuwait, and eight from Iran have registered. Among the 77 Pakistani nationals, one pilgrim intended to visit the Sikh shrine. 'The activities inside Pakistan create trouble for all. In the changed scenario, the pilgrims won't be able to visit (Char Dham). It is high time Pakistani nationals should spread the message about (activities). India has imposed visa restrictions; soon it could be other nations," BJP state president and MP Mahendra Bhatt told News18. However, the secretary of the Char Dham priest body, Brijesh Sati, said, 'We understand India's position in the current scenario. However, if possible, the government may reconsider the case of Pakistani Hindus who wish to come to Uttarakhand." (With inputs from Deepankar Bhatt) First Published: April 27, 2025, 02:35 IST
