Uttarakhand rain: Badrinath national highway blocked in 7 places due to debris

Heavy rain continues to lash Uttarakhand, leading to a rise in water level in many rivers and water bodies.

The Badrinath national highway in Chamoli district has been completely blocked due to debris at seven places following incessant rains over the last 48 hours, the district administration said on Tuesday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next few days.

Vehicles are stuck at the Badrinath highway after it was blocked due to the falling of debris following heavy rain in Chamoli in Uttarakhand.  (ANI Photo)

Many areas in the district have been facing power cuts since Monday, reported news agency ANI. The Uttarakhand government has, meanwhile, halted the Char Dham Yatra and urged the passengers en route to return to a safe place and avoid the pilgrimage for a day or two as a precautionary measure. As per the ANI report, a total of 2,500 devotees have taken shelter at the Badrinath Temple and are waiting for the highway to re-open.

The Chamoli district received fresh snowfall this morning. The district also received 19.8 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Heavy rain continues to lash Uttarakhand, leading to a rise in water level in many rivers and water bodies. An under-construction bridge over the Chalthi River in Champawat got washed away on Tuesday due to a rise in water level, visuals in ANI showed.

Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel also dialled his Uttarakhand counterpart Dhami to provide necessary assistance to the pilgrims from the state, who are stranded there due to natural calamity and rains, informed the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Tuesday.