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Char Dham yatra resumes from tomorrow, says Uttarakhand govt after rain subsides
Pandey said the yatra was suspended on safety grounds after heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flooding along key stretches of the pilgrimage routes.
Mussoorie: The Char Dham Yatra, suspended on September 1 due to incessant rains, will resume from September 6, the Uttarakhand government announced on Friday.
“The weather is now stabilising, skies are clearing, and roads are gradually becoming more secure. Based on the latest IMD forecast and reports from districts, we have decided to allow the resumption of the yatra from Saturday,” Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey.
Pandey said the yatra was suspended on safety grounds after heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flooding along key stretches of the pilgrimage routes.
The yatra, which takes pilgrims to the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, attracts lakhs of devotees annually. Officials said resuming the pilgrimage was a “measured decision,” supported by weather forecasts pointing to a weakening trend in rainfall activity.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall has reduced over the past 24 hours, bringing relief after weeks of intense showers.
Only two districts, Pithoragarh and Chamoli, recorded above-normal rainfall on Thursday, registering 14.8 mm and 5.5 mm, respectively. Elsewhere, deficits were stark. Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar, and Dehradun reported near-dry conditions. Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi recorded a 94% shortfall, while Pauri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar registered shortfalls of 71% and 84%, respectively. Nainital, Bageshwar, and Almora also reported significant deficits ranging between 63% and 83%.
According to IMD Dehradun, the extreme rainfall in August was caused by a combination of the monsoon and an active western disturbance. With the disturbance fading, rainfall in September is expected to remain scattered and relatively mild.
Despite the improvement, infrastructure remains under stress. As of Friday morning, 256 roads were reported blocked across the state due to landslides and boulder falls. These included national and state highways, Border Roads Organisation stretches, and rural roads maintained by PMGSY and the PWD.
