Dehradun: Dehradun: Pilgrimage to Kedarnath was suspended on Wednesday for three days in view of the MeT department warning of heavy rains in the area and frequent blockage of roads to the Himalayan shrine following intermittent showers in the valley over the past few days.
"Yatra to Kedarnath has been suspended for safety reasons till July 18 in view of the MeT department warning of heavy rains in the area," Rudraprayag District Magistrate Raghav Langar told PTI on phone.
Another reason for suspension of the pilgrimage is that both motor roads and the 21-km trek route from Sonprayag to Kedarnath is frequently blocked following showers in the area, he said.
About 200 pilgrims, who had gone to the Himalayan shrine to pay obeisance, are being gradually brought down. 35 of them have already reached Sonprayag and the rest will also follow late this afternoon, Langar said.
Asked whether the yatra will be resumed on July 19, the DM said much would depend on the weather and the condition of roads.
All the major rivers and their tributaries including the Alaknanda, Ganga, Mandakini and Bhagirathi are steadily on the rise with rains lashing most parts of the state in varying degrees over the past few days.
However, yatra to the other three Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri continues though on a low key due to bad weather.
"Though yatra to Badrinath has not been suspended, the number of visitors to the famed temple is steadily declining because of inclement weather. Not more than 10-20 people are visiting the shrine on a daily basis at present," ADM Chamoli Sanjay Kumar said.
Similar situation prevails in Gangotri and Yamunotri where the pilgrimage is continuing on a low key.
The MeT department in Uttarakhand had yesterday issued a warning of heavy rains in different parts of the state over the next three days prompting authorities to sound a general alert in the state which was hit by a huge natural calamity last year.
Light to moderate rains will lash most places over the next few days but rather heavy to heavy rains may occur in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Champavat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts, MeT office Director Anand Sharma had said.
