It has been raining in Kedarnath since Sunday night but the Mandakini river is flowing at its normal level. An official of the Devasthanam Board said regular prayers were going on at the four Himalayan temples and the pilgrims living there were safe.
At least three Nepalese laborers were killed and two others were injured due to incessant rains in Uttarakhand on Monday. District Magistrate Vijay Kumar Jogdande said that the laborers were staying in a tent in Samakhal near Lansdowne in Pauri district, when debris was falling from a field above due to rain, due to which they were buried alive.
They were engaged in the construction of a hotel in the area. The injured have been admitted to Kotdwar Base Hospital, he said.
The state government has advised Chardham pilgrims not to visit Himalayan temples till the weather improves. Chardham pilgrims, who reached Haridwar and Rishikesh by Sunday, have been asked not to proceed till the weather improves, while vehicular movement to the Himalayan shrines has been temporarily suspended.
Passenger vehicles are not being allowed to cross the Chandrabhaga bridge, Tapovan, Lakshman Jhoola and Muni-ki-Reti Bhadrakali barriers in Rishikesh.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the State Disaster Control Room at the Secretariat here and inquired about the weather and took stock of the condition of roads and highways.
He appealed to the pilgrims to postpone their journey for two days till the weather returns to normal. They are staying at safe places spread over Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Guptkashi, Ukhimath, Karnprayag, Joshimath and Pandukeshwar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Dhami over phone to inquire about the precautionary measures being taken by the state government in view of the heavy rain warning and assured him of all possible help.
It has been raining in Kedarnath since Sunday night but the Mandakini river is flowing at its normal level. An official of the Devasthanam Board said regular prayers were going on at the four Himalayan temples and the pilgrims living there were safe.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said that pilgrims going to Yamunotri have been asked to stop at Barkot and Jankichatti, while those going to Gangotri have been asked to stop at Harsil, Bhatwari and Maneri.
Pilgrims visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath have also been requested not to proceed on their journey till the weather clears. Chamoli district disaster management officer NK Joshi said that most of the pilgrims going to Badrinath are staying in Joshimath and Chamoli.
Out of the total 6,000, around 4,000 pilgrims have returned to Kedarnath on Sunday, while the rest are staying at safer places.
Rudraprayag Disaster Management Officer NS Singh said that many of them have been stopped at Lincholi and Bhimbali as a precautionary measure.
The Chardham Devasthanam Board said that in view of the heavy rain warning issued by Uttarakhand Meteorological Department for October 17-19, the Yatra has been temporarily stopped for the safety of the pilgrims.
The peaks beyond Badrinath and Kedarnath received light snowfall, while the low-lying areas of Chamoli district received incessant rain. Rain continued in Uttarkashi and Dehradun also.
Dhami has asked the district administration to provide hourly updates on the weather and road conditions. He also asked them to keep minimum response time in the event of a disaster.
Most educational institutions across Uttarakhand remained closed on Monday, while trekking, mountaineering and camping activities were banned in the high altitude areas of the state, including the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and various forest divisions, till Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
District level Khel Mahakumbh program to be held on 18-19 October at Parade and Pavilion Ground in Dehradun has been cancelled. They have now been rescheduled for October 24 and 25.
The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain, lightning, hailstorm and gusty winds (60-70 kmph) for all 13 districts of Uttarakhand between October 17 and 19.
(with PTI input)
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