increased trouble due to heavy snowfall in Kedarnath, Sonprayag will not be allowed to go after 11 am
Summary
However, on Friday morning, a total of 13,429 pilgrims were transported from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham, starting from 5 am. Only those travelers who had pre-booked their rooms were allowed to proceed towards Gaurikund, while others were advised to wait until they secured proper accommodation.
Expansion
As of now, devotees will not be permitted to trek to Kedarnath from Sonprayag after 11:30 am. Similarly, those who start from Gaurikund will not be allowed to proceed beyond 1:00 pm due to the current weather conditions, which include rain and snowfall in Kedarnath. In light of these circumstances, the authorities have temporarily suspended the movement of pilgrims to the region.
Earlier, 13,429 pilgrims who arrived on Friday morning were transported to Kedarnath from Sonprayag at 5 am, and only those who had pre-booked accommodation were allowed to proceed toward Gaurikund. However, half an hour of snowfall occurred in the Dham region on Friday.
The weather in Kedarnath has been unpredictable since March 16, with frequent snowfall despite being past the winter season. The region has experienced the highest amount of snowfall in the past one and a half months. The challenging weather conditions have posed problems for the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra that began on April 25. Although the weather was initially favorable on Friday morning, it soon began to deteriorate with cloudy skies and snowfall starting after 11 am. The snowfall continued for approximately thirty minutes, adding to the already difficult conditions in the region.
On Thursday, nearly four thousand pilgrims were stranded at Sonprayag, unable to proceed to Kedarnath. However, by 5 am on Friday, hundreds more had arrived, bringing the total number of pilgrims waiting to 13,429. All of them were subsequently transported from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham. Fortunately, the weather on the path and in Kedarnath remained clear throughout the day.
The authorities are closely monitoring the weather and taking necessary precautions, with additional arrangements being made in Jangalchatti, Bhimbali, and Lincholi to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
Services are getting affected due to snowfall
The continuous snowfall in Kedarnath has been causing disruptions in essential services such as electricity, water, and communication. Repair work is becoming increasingly challenging due to these interruptions. Despite the difficulties, teams from the Energy Corporation, Jal Sansthan, and BSNL are working tirelessly to restore services. The administration and police are also facing difficulties in making proper arrangements in the Dham due to the harsh weather conditions.
Arrangement of 10 passengers on foot to Dham
For the Kedarnath Yatra, approximately 10,000 pilgrims will be provided with overnight accommodation from Gaurikund to Kedarnath. Additionally, arrangements will be made for pilgrims to stay in private residential buildings as well.
