DEHRADUN: Heavy rain in Uttarakhand’s hills triggered a landslide at Sirobagad, near the Dhari Devi temple, burying a stretch of the Badrinath National Highway under mud and boulders, and leaving long queues of vehicles on both sides.
Around 4,000 pilgrims are reported to be stranded on either side of the blockage. With rain continuing and the risk of further landslides remaining high, the administration halted the Kedarnath pilgrimage until further orders.
National Highways Department machines have been deployed to clear the road, but fresh debris falling from the hillside is slowing the work. Officials have not indicated when traffic will resume.
“Machines from the NH department are at the site clearing the debris,” District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told TNIE.
The blockage is part of a long-running problem at Sirobagad. For nearly three decades, the stretch has been among the most difficult sections of the Badrinath route during the monsoon, as rain loosens material on the steep hillside, sending rocks and debris onto the road and repeatedly disrupting traffic.
Sources in the district disaster management office said the response has often followed the same pattern: machines clear the debris, traffic resumes, and another spell of rain causes a fresh blockage. The latest disruption has renewed calls for a lasting solution at the site.
The Badrinath highway is a key route for pilgrims and local residents. Repeated closures can leave travellers stranded for hours and disrupt movement between hill towns, particularly when bad weather limits the time available for road-clearing work.
The weather department has issued a red alert for heavy rain in Tehri, Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri. Orange alerts are in place for Nainital, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi, while Almora, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Bageshwar are under yellow alerts.
Rain has also pushed up water levels in the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. On Sunday, the Alaknanda was recorded at 626.100 metres and the Mandakini at 625.100 metres.
With the threat to riverside areas increasing, Rudraprayag’s District Emergency Operations Centre has been put on alert. Residents have been urged to stay away from riverbanks and move immediately to safer places in an emergency.