As many as 176 roads under the purview of PWD and five bridges-damaged in five mountainous districts of the Garhwal region by rain-triggered landslides-have remained closed with the inclement weather continuing. According to the official sources, the roads will take time between a week and ten days to reopen for regular traffic if the weather starts looking up.
Meanwhile, the landslides, continuing for the past five days, are affecting the movement of the pilgrims bound for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund shrines with many of the roads being blocked due to landslides. Several pilgrims are learnt to have remained stranded. However, BRO and NHAI are engaged in reopening them at the earliest. According to information received from chief engineer office Pauri, 80 roads are still closed for traffic in three districts-Pauri, Rudraprayag and Chamoli. These include 42 in Pauri, 15 in Rusraprayag and 23 in Chamoli districts. In Chamoli district alone, five bridges have been damaged.
However, according to the Pauri district control room, 61 roads located across different divisions of PWD are closed. Besides, 30 roads under PMGSY are learnt to be blocked in the same district. However, National Highway and some other important roads run by the World Bank and ADB are open. Sources said that 64 roads are closed in Tehri district and 32 in Uttarkashi. They further said that seven bridges had been damaged in Uttarkashi district.
The departments concerned have claimed that necessary efforts are being made to clear the roads. The officials have been instructed to ensure prompt repair of roads so as to ensure that they reopen for the traffic at the earliest.