The meteorological department on Monday issued an alert for heavy rainfall in the Uttarakhand districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh. Thousands of people are currently in the state on the “Char Dham” pilgrimage through Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy has directed the district magistrates to be vigilant and keep an eye on areas which are prone to landslides. Emergency centres should be equipped and ready with machines to deal with road blocks, Ramaswamy said.
At least 14,000 pilgrims had been stranded last week after a landslide blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. The pilgrimage had to be stopped and those stranded were directed to various camps set up on the route to Badrinath.
While Kedarnath is situated in Rudraprayag, Yamunotri and Gangotri are situated in Uttarkashi district. Skymet Weather predicted more landslides in the area.
The state was hit by floods following incessant rainfall and a cloudburst between June 15 and June 17 in 2013. The floods killed thousands of people and caused economic damage worth thousands of crores. Kedarnath temple, one of the worst affected regions, was shut down for a year after the floods. It only reopened in May 2014 .
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