Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed the decision, stating, “The Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for the next 24 hours following a heavy rain alert. As a precautionary measure, I have given instructions to the police and administration officials to stop the pilgrims in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag, and Vikasnagar.”The mountainous districts of Uttarakhand have been experiencing relentless, heavy rainfall since Saturday night. This has led to a sudden rise in the water levels of major rivers. In Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts, the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers, which flow through the sacred Badrinath and Kedarnath regions, are now flowing above the danger mark, posing a serious threat to riverside communities.Arpan Yaduvanshi, Commandant of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), told the TNIE, “Police in both districts are appealing to people living on river banks to move to safer locations. SDRF units are continuously monitoring potential high-risk areas and have urged pilgrims and others to refrain from approaching the riverbanks.”Adding to the state’s woes, Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer Nandkishore Joshi reported significant connectivity disruptions due to rain-induced debris and landslides. “Several highways in Chamoli district are obstructed due to debris and landslides.” The highway at Kamed Nandprayag is closed, approximately 4-5 km ahead of Paligad, near Silai Band.
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