The Uttarakhand government has suspended the Char Dham Yatra for 24 hours due to a heavy rainfall alert and a cloudburst in the state, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said the decision was taken as a precaution to ensure the safety of pilgrims. “Instructions have been issued to stop yatris at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag, and Vikasnagar,” Pandey told ANI.
The suspension follows a cloudburst in Silai Band along the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, where eight to nine workers went missing at an under-construction hotel site in Baligarh.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed severe damage at the construction site and said the Yamunotri route has been significantly affected. Search and rescue operations are underway, with teams from the NDRF, SDRF, and local police deployed to the affected area.
Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Department, stated that the situation is being closely monitored, and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of pilgrims and local residents.
Heavy rains on Saturday also caused widespread disruption, including the blockage of the Badrinath National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani — a key route for pilgrims en route to Kedarnath. Chamoli Police confirmed on X that work is ongoing to clear the road.
Amid forecasts of continued rainfall in both hilly and plain regions, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel during the next 24 hours.
