Over 700 pilgrims returning from Badrinath were evacuated after a major landslide at Hathipahar, near Vishnuprayag, on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway early on Thursday. Half a kilometre of the road was damaged in the disaster.
“Two-hundred pilgrims were airlifted using helicopters, and the rest trekked the two-km path to Joshimath from Vishnuprayag,” District Magistrate, Chamoli, Ashok Kumar said. Vishnuprayag is almost 25 kilometres ahead of Badrinath.
“At 4.40 a.m. [on Thursday], a major landslide occurred. Some portion of the debris reached the Alakananda river. Three machines that were used to clear the block got buried under it,” Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma said.
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“There are some obstacles to the yatra to Badrinath, but the yatra continues and is being regulated. No one is stranded in Badrinath. And the Border Roads Organisation has said that the National Highway would be opened in three days.”
State government teams have been deployed at Pandukeshwar, Badrinath and Govindghat. Indo-Tibetan Border Police and State Disaster Response Force personnel are on the spot. The government is planning to provide helicopter services from Joshimath to Govindghat on discounted rates for pilgrims to cross the obstruction.