Char Dham Yatra suspended for two days amid red, orange rain alerts

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has been suspended for two days in view of the ‘red’ and ‘orange’ rain alerts issued by the meteorological department for several districts.A view of the Badrinath Temple, nestled between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges on the bank of the Alaknanda river. (PTI)The pilgrimage is on hold from Saturday, September 27, to Sunday, September 28.Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop issued a letter to all district magistrates, directing them to take necessary action in their respective districts, news agency PTI reported.According to the letter, the decision was taken based on the weather forecast and keeping in mind the safety of pilgrims arriving from across the country and abroad. The Char Dham Yatra will remain suspended from Saturday afternoon until Sunday due to the ‘red’ alert for rain.The letter said the pilgrimage will resume once weather conditions normalise.District-wise alertsThe meteorological department has issued ‘red’ and ‘orange’ alerts for rain across various districts of Uttarakhand for September 26 and 27.For Saturday, a ‘red’ alert for heavy rain has been issued in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar. Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora are under an ‘orange’ alert, while a ‘yellow’ alert has been issued for Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri.Sunday forecastOn Sunday, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar are under a ‘red’ alert. An ‘orange’ alert has been issued for Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag, while Bageshwar, Almora, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh are under a ‘yellow’ alert.After the India Meteorological Department issued 'red' and 'orange' rain alerts for several Uttarakhand districts for September 26 and 27, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials on Friday to remain on high alert.The chief minister appealed to residents and tourists to exercise extreme caution and urged people to travel only if essential and after checking the latest weather and road conditions.Also Read: Rainfall to intensify across UP; extremely heavy downpours likely in places, flash flood risk flaggedThe meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places and extremely heavy rainfall in some areas during this period. Consequently, mountainous regions face a risk of landslides and road blockages, along with rising water levels in rivers and streams. Waterlogging could occur in the plains.Dhami urged the public to follow the guidelines issued by the local administration. He advised people to avoid venturing near rivers, streams, seasonal watercourses, and waterlogged areas during heavy rainfall, and warned against entering fast-flowing waters.He urged people to exercise extra caution on vulnerable roads and in landslide-prone areas within the mountainous regions. The chief minister also appealed to parents not to allow their children to go near rivers, streams, or other hazardous locations.(With inputs for agencies)