By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Amid heavy rains in Uttarakhand on Saturday, the chardham yatra was suspended for two days and all schools in five districts were closed after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red and orange alerts for September 26 and 27.
Heavy rains have lashed most of parts of the hill state since morning with higher reaches experiencing intermittent snowfall. However, no loss of any life or property has been reported so far in the state.
A communique issued by Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop said the chardham yatra has been suspended for two days on Sept 26-27, a top police official said.
According to the weather forecast, a red alert for heavy rainfall has been issued for five districts—Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar—for Saturday. An orange alert has been issued for Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora, while Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri are under a yellow alert.
All schools remained closed as precautionary measure in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Rudraprayag districts on Saturday.
For Sunday, a red alert has been issued for Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri districts while rest of the districts are under an orange alert.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations. The weather conditions could trigger landslides and road blockages in hilly areas, rising water levels in rivers and streams, and waterlogging in the plains.
Appealing to residents and tourists to remain vigilant, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami advised people to avoid unnecessary travel during red-alert periods and undertake journeys only when absolutely necessary after checking weather and road conditions. He also urged people to strictly follow advisories issued by the local administration.
Dhami cautioned people against venturing near rivers, streams, gad-gaderas, rain-fed channels and waterlogged areas during heavy rainfall, and warned them against attempting to cross strong currents. He also urged people to exercise caution on vulnerable roads and in landslide-prone areas in the hills and appealed to parents to prevent children from going near rivers, streams and other potentially dangerous locations.
The Chief Minister directed all concerned departments and officials to remain on a 24×7 alert, with continuous monitoring of water levels in rivers and streams, landslide-prone areas, hill roads, Char Dham routes and major tourist destinations.
He also directed authorities to keep all necessary arrangements in place so that relief and rescue operations can begin immediately in the event of any disaster. Rescue teams, essential equipment, JCBs and other machinery should be kept ready at strategic locations, he said.