With the authorities failing to take any concrete action for repairing the damaged stretch of the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway (NH-58) at lambagad, two members of the Badrinath Apda Sangharsh Samiti have started a fast unto death at Badrinath. The damaged state of the national highway at lambagad slide zone has been causing much inconvenience to the pilgrims and locals for many years now. The condition of the road at the slide zone has also caused various accidents down the years but both the Central and State Governments have failed to ensure prompt and effective action on this.
The June 2013 disaster has exacerbated the damage to the national highway leading to Badrinath, especially the stretch from lambagad to Badrinath. The Border Roads Organisation, which is responsible for the construction and maintenance of this national highway here, has so far failed to provide a long term solution. Due to the failure of the authorities to bring about the required change in the condition of this road, the locals, along with members of the religious fraternity and business community have been protesting under the banner of Badrinath Apda Sangharsh Samiti (BASS) since August 28 in support of their demand for improvement of the condition of the highway.
This agitation has now been intensified with the BASS working president Vinod Navani and local Purohit Shambhu Prasad Pandey starting a fast unto death. Scores of people from Badrinath, lambagad and other affected villages reached the protest site to lend their support. The protesters have warned that if the authorities fail to improve the condition of the highway, they will continue to protest even after the portals of Badrinath temple are closed for the winter months. The sub-divisional magistrate, Joshimath, reached Badrinath on Sunday to talk with the protesters but was gheraoed by irate people. Members of the Joshimath Vyapar Mandal have also started lending their support to this agitation.