Heavy rain damages part of key Badrinath highway
Mussoorie, Aug. 4 -- Heavy rainfall continued to lash Uttarakhand over the past 24 hours till Sunday morning 8.30 am, triggering landslides, road closures, and damage to infrastructure across several districts. A key portion of the Hanuman Chatti bridge on the Badrinath Highway was partially damaged, severely affecting vehicular movement in Chamoli district.
According to officials, the abutment and safety wall on both sides of Hanuman Chatti bridge were washed away following heavy downpours in the upper reaches, including areas near the Valley of Flowers.
Joshimath sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) CS Vashisht said: "The General Reserve Engineer Force inspected the damage and, as a precaution, heavy vehicles were barred. Only light vehicles up to 9 tonnes are being allowed, and police teams have been deployed for safety."
"Pilgrims en route to Badrinath are being asked to deboard and cross the bridge on foot," the SDM added.
In Haridwar, authorities issued a flood alert after the Vishnuprayag barrage released an additional 70 cumecs of water into the Alaknanda river on Sunday. The total water flow surged from 112 to 182 cumecs, prompting warnings for downstream areas. Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit advised people to avoid riverbanks and bathe only in designated areas. Disaster management teams remain on high alert. SSP Pramendra Dobhal and the DM jointly inspected Har Ki Pauri, reviewing security, sanitation, and crowd control measures.
As of 2 pm on Sunday, the Ganga's water level at Bhimgoda barrage stood at 291.95 metres - below the warning level of 293 metres. Water inflow was 96,954 cusecs, with an outflow of 87,883 cusecs.
Meanwhile, 83 roads were reported closed due to landslides, including 24 under the Public Works Department (PWD) and 52 under the PMGSY and Rural Works Department. Pithoragarh was worst affected with 25 road closures, including three national highways.
In Uttarkashi, traffic on the Gangotri Highway (NH-108) will be controlled from August 3 to 5 due to debris removal work on the adjacent Kujjan-Tihar rural road. Authorities have announced specific time slots for vehicular movement to prevent accidents.
In a separate incident on Sunday, a pickup truck plunged into the Yamuna river near Nainbagh on the Yamunotri Highway. Four passengers were injured, two of whom were referred to Doon Hospital.
The state received an average of 9.6 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Sunday, with Haridwar recording the highest at 26.5 mm (96% above normal). Bageshwar saw a 183% surplus, while Tehri and Almora experienced significant shortfalls, according to officials.
Despite heavy rains, the Kedarnath yatra continued without major disruptions, with security teams assisting pilgrims near Gaurikund. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Monday in Nainital, Champawat, and Bageshwar, with further heavy rains likely in parts of Kumaon and Garhwal till Wednesday....
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