Kedarnath Yatra registrations suspended till May 8 amid bad weather

In the light of bad weather in the Kedarghati for the next three to four days, officials have informed the registration of pilgrims has been discontinued till May 8. "Registration for the visit to Kedarnath Dham will be banned till May 8. There is a possibility of bad weather in Kedarghati for the next three to four days. In view of this, the government has taken this decision," stated an official release. 

As per tourist department records, until May 10, a total of 1.26 Lakh pilgrims have already registered for the Yatra. Till May 4, 1.23 lakh devotees had visited Kedarnath Dham. Notably, a fragment of a glacier at Bhairon had broken on May 4 (Thursday) however it was later made smooth for the pilgrims travelling on foot. 

Kedarnath route cleared for pilgrims travelling by foot

"The personnel of DDMA, SDRF, DDRF, NDRF, YMF and police have done the work of removing snow from a glacier and the Kedarnath Yatra route has been made smooth for the pilgrims travelling on foot. The travel route for horses and mules has not been opened yet, the snow removal work is being done by the labourers at a fast pace," read the release.

A glacier broke en route to the Kedarnath route between Bhairon and Kuber Gadere on Thursday (May 4). For the safety of the passengers and to help them pass the glacier SDRF, DDRF, NDRF and police personnel are deployed on the glaciers in order to avoid any untoward incident. 

Govt issues advisory

The government earlier on April 30 issued an advisory for the pilgrims to check the weather conditions and make appropriate arrangements for the yatra. “It may be noted that intermittent rain and snowfall continue in Kedarnath Dham. All the devotees coming to Kedarnath Dham from the country and abroad have been informed by the government to check the weather forecast before going to Kedarnath Dham and have been asked to carry enough warm clothes," news agency ANI quoted officials as saying. “Guidelines and SOPs have been issued for the journey. In this, travellers have been suggested to acclimatize their bodies to the mountain weather during the journey. If you are facing difficulty then rest for some time and only then travel," said Uttrakhand Health Secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar.

The yatra began on April 25 and about 1.2 Lakh pilgrims have visited the Kedarnath Dham until May 4.