Char Dham Yatra suspended for 24 hours amid red alert in Uttarakhand; North India lashed by heavy rains

Pilots flying in the Char Dham sector have to face many challenges including fickle weather, high altitudes and narrow valleys.

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has been suspended for 24 hours following incessant rainfall across the state, prompting a red alert from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Authorities have moved swiftly to halt pilgrim movement as roads leading to major shrines remain vulnerable to landslides and flash floods.

Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told ANI that pilgrims currently en route to Badrinath and Kedarnath are being stopped at Srinagar and Rudraprayag, while those bound for Yamunotri and Gangotri are being held back at Vikasnagar and Barkot.

Devotees already at the shrines are being escorted to safer locations under tight supervision.

Travel has been severely disrupted. The National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhaneropani, a key stretch for Kedarnath-bound pilgrims, has been blocked by debris. In Rudraprayag, movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road remains restricted due to continuous landslides.

Temporary halts were enforced at Sonprayag and Gaurikund until the route was partially cleared, with authorities now managing movement cautiously.

A cloudburst near Silai Band in Barkot, Uttarkashi, triggered a landslide at a hotel construction site early Saturday. Nine labourers remain missing, and rescue operations by the SDRF, NDRF, police, and local officials are ongoing.

The IMD has forecast continued extreme rainfall across the state, with more landslides and road closures possible. Pilgrims have been advised not to proceed until weather conditions stabilize.

Rain disruption beyond Uttarakhand  

The impact of the monsoon has rippled across North India, with parts of Delhi-NCR witnessing light to moderate rainfall on Saturday.

Thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50 km/h were reported in areas like Rohini, Pitampura, Dwarka, and near IGI Airport.

Himachal Pradesh is also on high alert. The state’s Hydromet Division has warned of moderate to high flash flood risk in Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and other districts. Rising water levels in the Beas prompted the opening of all five floodgates at Pandoh Dam in Mandi, releasing over 36,000 cusecs of water. Tourists and locals have been cautioned to stay away from riverbanks.

In Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, scattered rainfall brought slight relief from heat but added to the flood watch in low-lying regions. Authorities across states are urging people to avoid flood- and landslide-prone zones as more rain is expected over the next 24 hours.