Rudraprayag: Following the landslide incident that occurred on Monday evening on Sonprayag-Gaurikund highway in Kedarnath valley, the Rudraprayag administration has banned the movement on this route after 5 pm. Being buried under the debris, five people have died and three were injured and rescued by the state disaster response force in this incident. This landslide hit the pilgrims returning from Kedarnath.
Rudraprayag district magistrate gave instructions to ban the movement in view of further landslides in the area. During monsoon season this year, many landslide zones were activated in the hilly parts of the state and these rain-induced landslide incidents caused devastation at several places.
District magistrate inspected the landslide affected area
On Tuesday evening, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar, along with Superintendent of Police Ajay Prahlad Konde, inspected the landslide-affected area in Sonprayag. They emphasized the importance of vigilance and safety during the movement of pilgrims. The District Magistrate instructed police and sector officials on travel duty to ensure each pilgrim traveled safely on the trek route to Kedarnath. Additionally, he directed the Executive Engineer of the National Highway Construction Section, PWD, to develop a concrete policy for the permanent treatment of the landslide-affected area and to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Two-way movement stopped on Sonprayag-Gaurikund highway
During this time, Superintendent of Police Akshay Konde instructed to halt two-way movement between Sonprayag and Gaurikund after 5 pm for the safety of passengers and locals. He also directed that pilgrim movement be completely stopped during rainfall in the valley. Additionally, he has temporarily banned travel between Sonprayag and Gaurikund after 5 pm to ensure the safety of pilgrims. In case of rain, the police have been authorized to stop and manage the journey at their discretion.
Cloudburst incident in Kedarnath valley
This is the second time in monsoon season this year when Kedarnath valley is struck with disaster. On 31 July, a cloudburst occurred in Kedar valley destroying the Kedarnath trek route at 29 places. More than 5000 people were rescued by agencies like SDRF, NDRF, army, Airforce in a days long rescue operation.
