Incessant rains, landslides disrupt ‘Adi Kailash yatra’, Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway

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Incessant rains, landslides disrupt ‘Adi Kailash yatra’, Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Sept 12

Pithoragarh to Tanakpur highway, the lifeline of border districts of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state was closed due to landslides at several places caused by heavy and continuous rains in the region in last 24 hours.

“The highway has been closed at Churani, Santola, and near Gurna due to landslide debris which fell on road from above the adjoining hills  following heavy rains overnight,” said Bhupendra Singh, District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO), Pithoragarh. Over 18 village roads were closed due to rains, that measured at 62mm in Pithoragarh from last 24 hours.

According to DDMO, the road is also closed at Swala, in Champawat district.

” We have opened Churani spot for small vehicles and retracted the trapped vehicles from last night. The work of opening of road at Santola is disturbed due to continuous shooting stones from adjoining hills,” said the DDMO.

In Tanakpur region of Champawat district, 119 mm rains poured since last night.”The Sharda river discharge of water was witnessed at  54743 cusec this morning,” said an irrigation department officials at Sharada barrage in Tanakpur.

While Champawat district administration has ordered closure of all schools from 1st to 12th classes for today, the Pithoragarh administration has closed schools in 3 blocks of Dharchula, Munsiyari and Dadihat.

Meanwhile, a group of 50 ‘Adi Kailash’ pilgrims, on their pilgrimage had to return to base camp of Dharchula from Chautuldhar as the road ahead to Gunji was closed due to heavy shooting of boulders from the hill.

“Inner line passes were issued to over 50 pilgrims for ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ on September 10, but the pilgrims who proceeded on yatra had to return back due to roadblocks at Chautuldhar,” said Manjit Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Dharchula

“The tourists had waited for the opening of the  road all over the day but when it seemed unlikely they had to return. Now the pilgrimage will be conducted only on basis of weather conditions,” said Ashish Garbiyal, a tour operator, who was managing the trip.

According to administration sources in Dharchula, the road to ‘Adi Kailash’ is closed at two places of Ghatkhola and  Chautuldhar.” We advised  the pilgrims to undertake yatra only on the basis of weather forecast made by weather directorate of the state,” said the SDM.