Kedarnath Trek Route Reopens After Massive Repair Effort

The Kedarnath trek route, damaged by landslides due to heavy rain, has reopened for pilgrims after a 15-day closure. Around 260 laborers worked tirelessly to repair the 19-km route, blocked at 29 places. The rescue operation, aided by Indian Air Force, evacuated over 11,000 stranded pilgrims.

The Kedarnath trek route, which was severely damaged by landslides triggered by heavy rain on the night of July 31, has been repaired and reopened for pilgrims after a 15-day closure. Officials confirmed that the 19-km long route, which was blocked at 29 places by landslide debris, was restored on Friday.

A massive workforce of around 260 laborers worked day and night to repair and reopen the route for pilgrims, officials reported. Though the route is now largely functional, a couple of spots still have security personnel assisting pilgrims across, they added. The heavy rain and ensuing landslides had initially left thousands of pilgrims stranded along the route.

Assisted by the Indian Air Force and private helicopters, over 11,000 pilgrims stranded at various points along the route, including Bhimbali and Lincholi, were evacuated to safety by SDRF, NDRF, and police personnel during a rescue operation that spanned nearly a week. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami personally monitored the entire rescue operation, visiting the rain-hit areas of Rudraprayag district multiple times.

(With inputs from agencies.)