The closure of Badrinath National Highway to traffic for the last three days due to landslides in Gopeshwar, Jogidhara has become a problem for the pilgrims going to the Himalayan temple and Hemkund Sahib.
Vehicles carrying pilgrims have been stopped by police between Chamoli and Karnaprayag, causing a traffic jam near Langasu police station.
Officials said the pilgrims, including women, children and the elderly, were being helped by police and SDRF personnel to cross the pile of debris blocking the highway.
Many people trapped in their vehicles are waiting for the road to open near Lagasu police station.
The blocked highway made it difficult for polling agents, who were deployed at remote stations in the hills for the by-election to Badrinath assembly seat on Wednesday, to return to Gopeshwar.
The district election office said agents returned to Gopeshwar by helicopter from remote polling stations like Dronagiri, Jumma and Kosha on Thursday.
Chamoli district disaster management officer NK Joshi said that BRO personnel are busy clearing the road, but the debris continuously falling from the hills is complicating their work.
However, the number of pilgrims visiting Himalayan temples has declined due to the onset of monsoon, he said
For example, only 400 pilgrims went to Badrinath on Wednesday, he said.
Before the arrival of monsoon this number used to be in thousands.
Vehicles carrying pilgrims have been stopped by police between Chamoli and Karnaprayag, causing a traffic jam near Langasu police station.
Officials said the pilgrims, including women, children and the elderly, were being helped by police and SDRF personnel to cross the pile of debris blocking the highway.
Many people trapped in their vehicles are waiting for the road to open near Lagasu police station.
The blocked highway made it difficult for polling agents, who were deployed at remote stations in the hills for the by-election to Badrinath assembly seat on Wednesday, to return to Gopeshwar.
The district election office said agents returned to Gopeshwar by helicopter from remote polling stations like Dronagiri, Jumma and Kosha on Thursday.
Chamoli district disaster management officer NK Joshi said that BRO personnel are busy clearing the road, but the debris continuously falling from the hills is complicating their work.
However, the number of pilgrims visiting Himalayan temples has declined due to the onset of monsoon, he said
For example, only 400 pilgrims went to Badrinath on Wednesday, he said.
Before the arrival of monsoon this number used to be in thousands.
