By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government on Monday temporarily suspended the Char Dham Yatra as a precautionary measure in view of incessant heavy rainfall after the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) issued red and orange alerts for many districts.
Dehradun-Mussoorie road was also blocked and traffic was suspended after a portion of the road caved in in the afternoon. Most of the rivers including Ganga were rising at several areas.
The decision to suspend the Chardham yatra was taken after deteriorating weather conditions raised safety concerns for thousands of pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, an official statement said.
Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop directed all district magistrates and other concerned officials to ensure that pilgrims already on the yatra routes are accommodated at safe locations until the roads are declared fit for travel. He also instructed authorities to allow onward movement of pilgrims only after the routes are fully restored and certified safe.
Officials have also been directed to disseminate timely and accurate information to pilgrims and the general public through the media and other communication channels to prevent confusion and rumours.
The administration clarified that the suspension is purely a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of pilgrims in view of the prevailing weather conditions and the fragile condition of the yatra routes. It said the pilgrimage will resume once the weather improves and the routes are restored and declared safe.
The government appealed to pilgrims not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on official advisories issued by the administration. Pilgrims have also been urged to follow instructions issued by the respective district administrations and wait until weather and road conditions return to normal before proceeding with their journey.
The IMD has issued red and orange alerts for several parts of Uttarakhand, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, which has triggered landslides and disrupted road connectivity at multiple locations across the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.