Uttarakhand: Kedarnath Yatra suspended; IMD issues rad alert in state

Dehradun: Due to continuous heavy rains in Uttarakhand, a red alert has been issued in most of the hill districts of the state on Thursday. The Meteorological Department has warned of extremely heavy rains in the next few hours. In view of this, the administration has temporarily suspended many pilgrimages as a precaution. Weather condition There is a continuous rain alert in many districts of Uttarakhand. The situation in the mountainous areas is bad and there is a possibility of landslides, cloudbursts and floods. The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains for the next seven days. Temporary ban on Kedarnath and Madmaheshwar Yatra On the joint recommendation of the police administration and the District Disaster Management, the journey to Kedarnath and Madmaheshwar Dham has been stopped for two days. District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that the safety of the pilgrims is being given top priority, so the journey has been temporarily suspended. Heavy boulders on Badrinath highway, passengers stranded Heavy rocks broke and fell on the Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) near Jogidhara, one kilometer before Jyotirmath. This left about 500 pilgrims and locals stranded on both sides of the road. After about 20 hours, the route was partially opened, after which the movement of vehicles could start and the stranded passengers were sent ahead. Obstacles in relief and rescue operations Landslides and continuous rain are causing problems in relief and rescue operations at many places. Due to frequent closure of roads, machinery and rescue teams are facing difficulty in reaching the affected areas. The administration has appealed to local residents and tourists to stay in homes and safe places till the weather becomes normal. Administration's appeal: Be careful, avoid travel The state government and the local administration have appealed to the citizens and tourists to avoid travel for the next few days and follow the government guidelines related to the weather. In case of emergency, helpline numbers have been asked to be contacted. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand have disrupted normal life. Pilgrimages have been halted, roads are closed and rescue operations are underway in many areas. Taking the weather department's alert seriously, the administration is on alert, but the situation still remains delicate.