Char Dham Yatra Halted for Two Days as Rain Alerts Grip Uttarakhand

The Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for Saturday and Sunday after the meteorological department placed most districts of Uttarakhand under red and orange rain alerts, officials said.

Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop issued a letter to all district magistrates directing them to take the necessary steps in their jurisdictions. The yatra will remain halted from Saturday afternoon until Sunday, and will resume only once weather conditions return to normal, the letter said.

The decision, the commissioner said, was taken on the basis of the weather office's forecast and with the safety of pilgrims travelling from across the country and abroad in mind.

For Saturday, a red alert for heavy rain was issued for five districts — Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar. An orange alert was sounded for Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora, while Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri were placed under a yellow alert.

For Sunday, the red alert covers four districts — Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar. Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag are under an orange alert, and Bageshwar, Almora, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh under a yellow alert.