A massive landslide on Friday afternoon blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway near Vishnupryag, about 9km from Joshimath in Uttarakhand ‘s Chamoli district. A major part of a hill collapsed on the highway near Hatipahar, blocking the road and leading to hundreds of vehicles being stuck on both sides, following which pilgrims are feared stranded. The debris brought down by the disaster affected almost 150 meters of area and about 60 meters of the national highway damaged. Deepam Seth, Inspector General of police claimed that none of the vehicles and pilgrims remained trapped in the landslide-affected area and there were no reports of injury to pilgrims.
In 2015, about three hundred pilgrims from Odisha stranded in this area due to heavy rainfall and huge landslides. As rains in the hilly regions trigger landslides every year the Hatipahar has become a major trouble spot for pilgrims going to the Badrinath shrine.
According to Tripti Bhatt, Superintendent of police, Chamoli, the Border Road organization (BRO) and local police are at the spot and trying to make sure that the debris will be cleared and traffic movement will restore as soon as possible. However, the BRO officials said that it was a big landslide and it would take at least two days to clear the debris from the national highway. The District Collector Ashis Joshi said that they are trying to provide all facilities like food and lodging to 1,000-1,500 pilgrims who were left stranded at Joshimath, Karnaprayag, Pipalkoti, Govindghat, and Badrinath.
An official told that as a matter of abundant precaution, the police of Badrinath has informed to stop the down movement of any vehicles from the shrine and the pilgrims were asked to stay and not take the return journey in the next 24 hours, till the way is clear. Officials have made arrangement for boarding and lodging for those stranded pilgrims between Hatipahar and Badrinath shrine. The SP said that there is no cause of worry because hotels and other statements near Badrinath can house more than one lakh pilgrims.
Colonel Rama Subramanian, BRO Commander said that due to the natural calamity big boulders have rolled down from the mountain along with the huge flow of debris. In order to remove the debris from the highway at earliest, BRO has pressed into service some excavator machines, pockland machines and compressor machines at the spot and more machines are on their way to open the road and make a bypass for vehicles to travel on the highway.
The Garhwal commissioner Vinod Sharma has also left for chamoli to take stock of the situation while disaster management secretary Amit Negi is monitoring the situation sitting from Dehradun. Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, today told the assembly that maximum pilgrims are safe, especially who are from Maharashtra. According to him, they have ascertained it. He also told that the Railway administration also has made all the arrangements to bring them back.
