DEHRADUN: The strategic Badrinath Highway has been blocked for the third consecutive day, disrupting pedestrian movement and leaving thousands of pilgrims and travelers stranded. The closure comes after heavy landslides and massive boulders fell on the road. Despite ongoing clearance efforts, the highway is expected to remain shut for another 24 hours, officials said.
According to official sources, a landslide near Joshimath has left massive boulders on the road, making it impassable for pedestrians. The blockade has stranded over 3,000 pilgrims, who were on their way back from Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib, for the past two days.
Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Chandrashekhar Vashishth told this daily, ‘A massive landslide at Jogidhara, just half a kilometer before Joshimath, has blocked the route, leaving over 1,200 pilgrims stranded in the Joshimath area and 400 more stuck on their way down from Govindghat. A significant number of travelers have been safely evacuated from the area with the help of SDRF and NDRF teams. The administration is still providing food packets, water, and essential items to the stranded pilgrims.”
SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra said the team is providing all possible help.
‘Stranded for 36 hrs’
Sandip Bhandarkar from Maharashtra and Rahul Kumar from Faridabad, who were returning after visiting Badrinath Dham, told this newspaper, “We had to spend 36 hours in our vehicles, but the administration arranged for food and water.