The SDRF team in Uttarakhand swiftly rescued workers trapped in a river near Badhwala Sadhna Kendra Ashram amid ongoing heavy rains and landslides.
As the Alaknanda River continues to rise, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has temporarily halted the Char Dham yatra, prioritizing safety.
The SDRF remains vigilant, having also rescued stranded pilgrims from the Sonprayag landslide zone.
Dakpatthar (Uttarakhand) [India], July 3 (ANI): On Thursday, the SDRF Dakpatthar team received information that some workers were stranded in the river near Badhwala Sadhna Kendra Ashram. On receiving the information, the SDRF team immediately left for the site of the incident and rescued the trapped workers. Meanwhile, as heavy rains, along with landslides, continue to affect the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "...Considering the weather, the Char Dham yatra has been temporarily halted.
In the future, we will proceed with the yatra in accordance with the weather. When the yatra is safe, it will continue... Our priority during the yatra is the safety of all pilgrims... All our district officials, disaster management teams, NDRF, and SDRF are fully prepared..." Since the last few days, the Water level of the Alaknanda River has also been continuously rising, submerging several small temples and structures in Rudraprayag. Currently, the Alakananda River is flowing above the danger level mark. On June 30, Boulders and rocks blocked a part of the Uttarkashi highway.
This morning Uttarakhand SDRF team also rescued around 40 devotees, who were stranded in the Sonprayag landslide zone while on their way back from Shri Kedarnath Dham. Debris had suddenly fallen late at night on the way to Kedarnath Dham near Sonprayag, due to which more than 40 pilgrims returning from Kedarnath Dham were stranded from around 10 pm yesterday. The SDRF later rescued them. SDRF teams have been continuously active in Uttarakhand due to the various incidents caused by heavy rains and landslides.
In the recent Rudraprayag bus accident that happened on June 26, an 18-seater bus had fallen into the Alaknanda River in Gholthir of Rudraprayag district, leading to the death of at least one person and seven injured persons. SDRF personnel conducted a search operation near the dam in Srinagar, Garhwal, which is 40 km from the Rudraprayag bus accident site, for any bus passengers who might have floated down the river due to strong currents. (ANI)