At least 50 pilgrims and locals were stuck near the Madmaheshwar Temple in Uttarakhand after the yatra to the shrine was cut short on Thursday due to heavy rain and landslides on the hiking route.
Temporary wooden bridge over Markanda River washed away
According to officials, a makeshift wooden bridge built over the Markanda River was swept away during the area’s heavy rainfall, further hampering the yatra to the shrine.
The shrine, part of the Panch Kedar temple group in Uttarakhand, stands at an elevation of 11,473 feet.
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‘Orange alert’ issued for Dehradun and Bageshwar
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘orange alert’ for Dehradun and Bageshwar, anticipating moderate to heavy rains.
Following the advise, the city administration decided to close all schools and Anganwadi facilities on Friday (July 26).
“All government and private schools from class 1 to 12 and Anganwadi centres in Dehradun will remain closed on Friday in view of an ‘orange’ alert issued by the NDMA’s National Disaster Alert Portal for heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in the district,” an order by the Dehradun DM said.
The decision was made to avoid any unpleasant situations since “rain makes many areas in the district more vulnerable to landslides,” it added.
Also read: Lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh claim 38 lives in a day
Bridge collapse in Rudraprayag had left 300 stranded last year
Meanwhile, last year, a bridge collapsed on the trekking path to the Madmaheshwar Temple in the Rudraprayag area. At the moment, the rescuers safely removed almost 300 pilgrims who were trapped along the road.
According to Rudraprayag District Disaster Management officials, the rescue effort was completed with the evacuation of 293 devotees.
