The Kedarnath Yatra in Rudraprayag was temporarily suspended on Wednesday after a landslide blocked the path for devotees. On July 22, boulders and rocks, triggered by the heavy rains, fell on the Yatra path near Gaurikund, as per officials.
The authorities stopped the movement in the affected area, and devotees have been moved to safe locations. The landslide struck near Chhodi, about one kilometre beyond Gaurikund on the trek route, blocking the path with debris.
Route is being monitored carefully
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said pilgrims were immediately stopped at safe locations once information about the landslide came in, to prevent any risk to their safety. Teams from the Public Works Department (PWD) and other departments reached the site and began clearing the debris to restore movement along the route, he said.
Rajwar said the situation was being monitored continuously, with the District Disaster Management Authority and police teams carrying out relief and safety operations on high alert. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have also been kept on standby for immediate deployment if the situation demands.
Route to reopen only after safety clearance
Nandan Singh has appealed to pilgrims to remain patient and follow the administration’s directions, adding that movement on the trek route would resume only once it is declared completely safe.
Previous landslide in the same corridor
Following the event, the trekking route was reopened for pilgrims at around 1 pm, after the removal of debris. Reports note that the Sonprayag-Gaurikund corridor experiences recurrent landslide disruptions during pilgrimage periods because of steep Himalayan terrain, unstable slopes, and weather-related erosion.
In May, over 10,000 pilgrims had to be evacuated from the Sonprayag-Gaurikund corridor after multiple landslides struck overnight, in an operation involving both the NDRF and SDRF.
Why landslides are common during the Kedarnath Yatra
It is worth noting here that the Kedarnath pilgrimage passes through mountainous terrain that is prone to landslides during the monsoon season. Heavy rainfall frequently triggers rockfalls and debris slides which forces authorities to temporarily suspend pilgrim movement as a precaution until the route is restored and safety checks are completed.