Mussoorie/Haldwani/Pithoragarh, Sept. 2 -- The state government on Monday announced the temporary suspension of the Char Dham Yatra and Hemkunt Sahib Yatra till September 5, owing to the continuous heavy rainfall and unsafe travel conditions. In the 24 hours up till Monday morning, over 250 roads in the state were closed due to rain-fed landslides, officials said. Persistent rain has led to key piligrimage routes being blocked by landslide debris, said Garhwal commissioner, Vinay Shankar Pandey, adding that the government was working to clear the roads on a priority basis and control rooms have been set up to provide real-time updates. "Pilgrims are requested to remain patient and stay in contact with the control room for the latest information regarding the journey," he added. Meanwhile over 252 roads were closed to traffic across 13 districts till Monday morning, officials said. The worst-affected district is Chamoli, with 60 road closures, followed by Dehradun (32), Pithoragarh (30), and Pauri (28). In Uttarkashi district, authorities deployed teams with sufficient manpower and machinery to clear roads blocked by trees, debris, and fallen rocks, officials said. In Nainital, which reported heavy overnight rainfall, nine major routes, including national and state highways, were closed following landslides and flooding, officials said. The downpour, which began around 2 am and continued well into Monday, caused the Gaula river to swell beyond 55,000 cusecs, above the danger mark. Authorities were forced to open the barrage gates at Kathgodam, further raising the water flow. The surge damaged several check dams built to safeguard the Gaula bridge. Alarmed by the rising waters, police and administrative teams evacuated residents from riverside settlements to safer zones. In Ramnagar, six passengers were injured when a bus overturned on Dhikuli road around 7.30 am on Monday, police said, adding that the mishap occurred after the driver swerved to avoid colliding with a gypsy vehicle....