DEHRADUN: State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have helped more than 9,000 pilgrims cross a landslide-prone stretch of the Kedarnath trekking route near the Chirbasa helipad, where falling boulders and debris have repeatedly disrupted movement, an officer said.
An SDRF team from Sonprayag has been stationed at the affected stretch to guide pilgrims through the danger zone. The deployment comes as rain loosened the hillside above the route, making the crossing hazardous even when the path remains open.
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told TNIE, “With the help of the SDRF and police, more than 9,000 devotees have been safely escorted across the area."
Officials said SDRF personnel have carried out similar relief and rescue operations at Chirbasa in the past. This time, their focus is on helping pilgrims safely cross a stretch where conditions can change rapidly.
Administrative sources said Chirbasa remains vulnerable even outside periods of heavy rain. The high-altitude route passes beneath slopes with loose soil, rocks and debris that can become unstable after rainfall. At several points, the narrow path runs between the mountainside and a river or stream, leaving little room for pedestrians to avoid sudden rockfalls.
The sources said the heavy pilgrimage traffic adds to the risk. Large numbers of pedestrians, horses and mules use the same narrow track, contributing to erosion and weakening its edges.
According to district disaster management sources, boulders have again been falling from the hillside near Chirbasa during the current spell of rain, blocking the route on several occasions and prompting the SDRF deployment.
The Gaurikund-Kedarnath trek has witnessed fatal landslides in previous years. Officials recorded two deaths each in 2017 and 2018, three in 2019, six in 2022, and three each in 2023 and 2024. On July 21, 2024, a landslide at Chirbasa killed three pilgrims and injured five others.
For pilgrims currently undertaking the journey, SDRF personnel are helping them cross the exposed section rather than leaving them to negotiate it on their own. Officials have not said when conditions are expected to improve. The risk of further falling debris remains.