Rain in Uttarakhand continues to be heavy, Char Dham Yatra halted

Incessant rains have continued to throw normal life out of gear in the hill state of Uttarakhand. Rivers like Mandakini, Bhagirathi, Sharda and Alaknanda are flowing near the danger mark. People living close to the rivers have been asked to leave their houses and move to safer places.

According to the data available with Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Nainital has received 152 mm of rain, Mukteshwar 132 mm, Champawat 72 mm, Almora 44 mm, Pithoragarh 39 mm, Tehri Garhwal 36 mm, Uttarkashi 35 mm of rain, Haridwar 33 mm, Dehradun 19 mm and Joshimath 8 mm of rain in the last 24 hours from 8.30 am on Thursday.

The weather is expected to remain the same for the next 24-48 hours. Moderate to heavy rain in Uttarakhand will be observed during this period. Kumaon region consisting of Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital, Almora and Udhamsingh Nagar districts is most likely to receive the bulk of the rain.

Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended till Saturday as heavy rains have caused landslides at several places along the yatra route.  The national highway in the Kedar valley has been inundated with water at some places. The Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway and the road connecting Kedarnath and Gaurikund have also been blocked.

It was during the beginning of the Char Dham Yatra on 16^th June, 2013 that very heavy rain and cloudburst caused severe flooding in the state. About 5000 people including pilgrims were killed in this calamity.

Twelve out of thirteen districts in Uttarakhand bore the brunt of the fury. Rudraprayag, Chamoli Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh were the worst affected districts. The Kedarnath Temple, one of the famous temples of Lord Shiva and part of the Char Dham Yatra was also damaged.