The 24-hour suspension on the Char Dham Yatra was lifted on Monday, a day after heavy rains and a cloudburst near Barkot triggered landslides and a deadly incident along the Yamunotri route. Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed that the ban had been lifted. He added that District Magistrates along the pilgrimage route have been directed to regulate vehicle movement based on local weather conditions. The precautionary suspension, imposed on Sunday, followed a devastating cloudburst near Silai along the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, where two labourers were killed and seven remain missing. The incident occurred near an under-construction hotel, where 29 labourers were sheltering; 20 were rescued. The Yamunotri National Highway was blocked at multiple points near Silai Band due to landslides, affecting access to the shrine. Debris clearance operations were launched promptly. Several other roads were blocked across the state, including the Sonprayag-Munkatiya stretch in Rudraprayag, vital for Kedarnath-bound pilgrims. Meanwhile, heavy rains continue to batter Chamoli, Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun, and Rudraprayag. Rising river levels have prompted officials to issue fresh advisories for residents near riverbanks to remain alert and take precautions. The pilgrimage to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri has resumed cautiously, with authorities urging pilgrims to follow safety protocols amid persistent weather threats.
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