Kedarnath Yatra resumes after landslide blocks trek route; IMD issues alert

The Kedarnath Yatra resumed on Friday afternoon after being suspended for more than five hours due to a rain-induced landslide and falling boulders that blocked the trekking path near the Chirbasa helipad in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. Pilgrims walking on foot were permitted to continue once the route was cleared, though transport via mules and horses remained disrupted as officials worked to restore the area amid ongoing weather alerts. The incident took place around 6:30 am after persistent overnight rainfall weakened the slopes, causing large boulders to tumble onto the pedestrian trail heading toward Kedarnath. The trekking route was reopened for foot pilgrims approximately one hour before noon after debris and boulders were removed. According to Sunil Singh Rawat, an executive engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) in Guptkashi, the yatra was paused after boulders struck the pedestrian path, completely blocking it at around 6:30 am on Friday. He stated that PWD personnel working at the site managed to clear the route for pedestrians by 1 pm, allowing the pilgrimage to resume. Rawat noted that efforts are ongoing to fully restore the route, expecting completion by Saturday. In a separate occurrence, substantial boulders tumbled near Gaurikund along the Kedarnath route early on Friday morning, prompting authorities to briefly halt pilgrim movement as a precaution. Prerna Jaguri, an executive engineer with the National Highways PWD division, confirmed that massive boulders had fallen onto the road in the early hours but were swiftly cleared using heavy equipment. She indicated that the yatra subsequently resumed and is currently progressing without any obstacles. Vehicular traffic on the Yamunotri Highway close to Sayana Chatti was reinstated after authorities removed debris from a landslide caused by sustained rainfall over recent days. District disaster management officials reported that vital services and traffic have returned to their usual state following the reopening of the impacted section. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya emphasized that the administration is fully equipped to guarantee the secure passage of Char Dham pilgrims and local residents while keeping essential services running uninterrupted. Over the last 24 hours, monsoon conditions have been typical across Uttarakhand, with light to moderate rainfall recorded in multiple regions and heavy to very heavy downpours occurring at scattered spots. As per the State Emergency Operations Centre, 49 roads remain closed throughout Uttarakhand as of Friday evening. Pithoragarh accounts for 19 of these blocked roads, followed by five each in Chamoli, Bageshwar, and Pauri districts, three in Dehradun, and two in Rudraprayag. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released an orange alert for Saturday, predicting heavy rainfall at isolated locations within Dehradun, Champawat, Nainital, and Bageshwar districts. Weather experts have cautioned about severe thunderstorms coupled with lightning and very intense to extremely intense bursts of rain at isolated sites in Dehradun and Bageshwar. Heavy rainfall is anticipated at isolated places in Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Udham Singh Nagar, and Pithoragarh districts, whereas the rest of the districts are forecasted to experience thunderstorms alongside lightning and intense episodes of rain at isolated locations.