Char Dham Yatra Resumes After 24-Hour Suspension

Dehradun — The 24-hour suspension of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has been officially lifted, allowing the pilgrimage to resume after heavy rainfall and landslide risks forced a temporary halt.

Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed to IANS, “The 24-hour ban on the Char Dham Yatra has been lifted.” However, he added that District Magistrates along the pilgrimage route have been instructed to regulate vehicle movement based on local weather conditions.

The suspension, imposed on Sunday, was a precautionary step to safeguard the lives of pilgrims and residents as the state witnessed relentless rain and heightened landslide threats.

Authorities had previously urged pilgrims to stay where they were and refrain from traveling to the four pilgrimage sites — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — until the weather improved.

The suspension came after a devastating cloudburst near Silai on the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, which left at least nine road construction workers missing.

The cloudburst struck near an under-construction hotel along the Yamunotri National Highway, sweeping away a labourers' campsite sheltering 29 workers. While 20 people were rescued, two were confirmed dead, and search operations continue for the remaining seven missing workers.

The Yamunotri National Highway was blocked in several places near Silai Band, disrupting travel on the route. Authorities deployed teams to clear debris and restore road access.

In other parts of the state, the National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhaneropani was blocked by landslide debris, while the crucial Sonprayag-Munkatiya route in Rudraprayag — a key access road for Kedarnath pilgrims — also remained closed due to landslides.

Heavy rainfall continues to lash multiple districts, including Chamoli, Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun, and Rudraprayag.

With rivers swelling dangerously close to their banks, the administration has issued fresh advisories urging residents in low-lying and riverside areas to stay alert and take necessary precautions.

With inputs from IANS