Gopeshwar, The ongoing excavation work along the banks of the Alaknanda river created a flood-like situation on Monday night, when the water briefly submerged the Brahmakapal and reached the boundary of the Taptkund near the Badrinath temple, causing fear among the devotees.
The Alaknanda River flows just a few meters below the Himalayan temple.
Located between the Alaknanda River and the temple, the Taptkund is a group of hot sulfur springs rich in medicinal qualities in which devotees bathe before paying obeisance at the temple.
Brahmakapal is on the banks of the Alaknanda River, where devotees make offerings in memory of their ancestors.
From 4pm on Monday until late afternoon, the Alaknanda River overflowed its banks in this area. The river's furious currents terrified devotees, eyewitnesses said.
The sudden rise in the water level of the Alaknanda washed away debris deposited along its banks as a result of the ongoing excavation under the Badrinath master plan, temple priests said.
"For a long time we have been asking the local administration about the possible danger to the Badrinath temple and especially Taptkund due to the construction work being carried out as per the master plan," the association president said over the phone. teerth-purohit, Praveen Dhyani.
"I personally asked the district magistrate twice to do something about this danger, but no attention was ever paid to it," Dhyani said.
Dhyani, who has been associated with the organization for the last 40 years, said it was the first time he had seen Alaknanda's water level rise like this. The water level began to rise at 4 pm and continued until 8 pm.
Debris resulting from the excavation is being dumped into the Alaknanda, which has reduced the flow area of the river, he said.
The four Brahmakapal rocks considered sacred also remained submerged in Alaknanda for some time when the water level rose on Monday night, Dhyani said, adding that this happened for the first time.
Alaknanda water reaching Brahmakapal and Taptkund, just a few meters below the Badrinath temple, indicates danger to the temple, he said.
For the last three years, excavators have been running all over the area under the Badrinath Adhyaatmik Nagar Master Plan programme, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project, he said.
According to Dhyani, excavations are being carried out on the banks of the Alaknanda, due to which heaps of debris are piling up on the banks of the river.
Renowned environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, who had written a letter to the prime minister two years ago about the possible dangers of "reckless" construction being carried out under the master plan at Badrinath Dham, said the Alaknanda is a fed river by glaciers and that the activities carried out in the high Himalayas have a direct impact on it.
In 1930, the water level of the Alaknanda had risen by 30 feet near the Badrinath temple. Similarly, in 2014, Alaknanda took a violent form in Badrinath, Bhatt said.
Before starting any program under the construction of Badrinath spiritual city master plan, an assessment of the character of rivers, geography and climatic effects should be analyzed in detail, Bhatt said.
Chamoli district disaster management officer Nand Kishore Joshi said an alert was issued on Monday night regarding the rising water level of the river, but there is no information of any damage yet.
The Alaknanda River flows just a few meters below the Himalayan temple.
Located between the Alaknanda River and the temple, the Taptkund is a group of hot sulfur springs rich in medicinal qualities in which devotees bathe before paying obeisance at the temple.
Brahmakapal is on the banks of the Alaknanda River, where devotees make offerings in memory of their ancestors.
From 4pm on Monday until late afternoon, the Alaknanda River overflowed its banks in this area. The river's furious currents terrified devotees, eyewitnesses said.
The sudden rise in the water level of the Alaknanda washed away debris deposited along its banks as a result of the ongoing excavation under the Badrinath master plan, temple priests said.
"For a long time we have been asking the local administration about the possible danger to the Badrinath temple and especially Taptkund due to the construction work being carried out as per the master plan," the association president said over the phone. teerth-purohit, Praveen Dhyani.
"I personally asked the district magistrate twice to do something about this danger, but no attention was ever paid to it," Dhyani said.
Dhyani, who has been associated with the organization for the last 40 years, said it was the first time he had seen Alaknanda's water level rise like this. The water level began to rise at 4 pm and continued until 8 pm.
Debris resulting from the excavation is being dumped into the Alaknanda, which has reduced the flow area of the river, he said.
The four Brahmakapal rocks considered sacred also remained submerged in Alaknanda for some time when the water level rose on Monday night, Dhyani said, adding that this happened for the first time.
Alaknanda water reaching Brahmakapal and Taptkund, just a few meters below the Badrinath temple, indicates danger to the temple, he said.
For the last three years, excavators have been running all over the area under the Badrinath Adhyaatmik Nagar Master Plan programme, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project, he said.
According to Dhyani, excavations are being carried out on the banks of the Alaknanda, due to which heaps of debris are piling up on the banks of the river.
Renowned environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, who had written a letter to the prime minister two years ago about the possible dangers of "reckless" construction being carried out under the master plan at Badrinath Dham, said the Alaknanda is a fed river by glaciers and that the activities carried out in the high Himalayas have a direct impact on it.
In 1930, the water level of the Alaknanda had risen by 30 feet near the Badrinath temple. Similarly, in 2014, Alaknanda took a violent form in Badrinath, Bhatt said.
Before starting any program under the construction of Badrinath spiritual city master plan, an assessment of the character of rivers, geography and climatic effects should be analyzed in detail, Bhatt said.
Chamoli district disaster management officer Nand Kishore Joshi said an alert was issued on Monday night regarding the rising water level of the river, but there is no information of any damage yet.
