DEHRADUN: Incessant rain since Monday night has disrupted normal life across Uttarakhand, damaging a key stretch of the Yamunotri pilgrimage route and increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides in several districts. Schools in five districts will remain closed on Wednesday as a precaution amid a fresh weather warning.
A portion of the Jankichatti-Yamunotri pedestrian route in Uttarkashi district subsided on Tuesday after the water level in a nearby river rose sharply. The damaged section, located near Ram Mandir, is currently unsafe for pilgrims, officials said.
“A 25- to 30-metre stretch of the Jankichatti-Yamunotri pedestrian route near Ram Mandir has subsided by around two to 2.5 metres due to the rise in the river’s water level,” Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Jaiprakash Singh Pawar told the TNIE.
“The route is not safe for pilgrims at present. An alternative path needs to be created, and workers will be deployed at the earliest,” he added.
The disruption has affected movement on the route leading to the Yamunotri shrine, one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites. Officials have advised pilgrims to follow instructions issued by the district administration and avoid attempting to cross the damaged stretch.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Nainital districts. It also warned of lightning and spells of extremely intense rainfall in Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Nainital.
Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is also likely at isolated places in the remaining districts. With further rain forecast, local administrations in five districts ordered the closure of schools on Tuesday to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The IMD’s national flash flood guidance bulletin has flagged a moderate risk of flash floods over the next 24 hours in select watersheds of Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts.
Continuous rainfall could cause water levels in small rivers and streams to rise rapidly, inundate low-lying areas and trigger landslides in vulnerable hill zones, officials warned.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman urged residents and Char Dham pilgrims to take weather warnings seriously.
“People should avoid unnecessary travel, particularly through landslide-prone areas, and strictly follow advisories issued by the authorities,” Suman said.
District disaster response teams have been asked to remain vigilant as the wet spell is expected to continue.