Uttarakhand: Badrinath Highway Resumes Operation After Debris Block Road

Following continuous rainfall, chunks of debris blocked the Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand.

Chamoli police later announced that the road was cleared for all traffic. ( Image Source :X/@chamolipolice )

The Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district was closed briefly on Monday morning after a large chunk of debris blocked the road, said the Chamoli Police.  

In a social media post on X, the police said, "Due to rain in the district, the road has been blocked due to debris coming from the hill on Badrinath National Highway, Nandprayag under Chamoli police station area and Pagalnala under Joshimath police station area."

However, later the police informed that the road has been cleared for all traffic. 

𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄
जनपद में बारिश के कारण श्री बद्रीनाथ राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग चमोली थाना क्षेत्रान्तर्गत नन्दप्रयाग व थाना जोशीमठ क्षेत्रान्तर्गत पागलनाला मे पहाड़ी से मलबा आने के कारण सड़क मार्ग अवरुद्ध हो गया है। pic.twitter.com/VSuhuBydLp

— Chamoli Police Uttarakhand (@chamolipolice) March 4, 2024

"The blocked road near Nandprayag has opened for all types of vehicles," said the Chamoli Police in an update.

According to India Meteorological Department, parts of Uttarakhand experienced light to moderate rainfall/snowfall and heavy to very heavy rainfall/snowfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday. 

On Sunday, the IMD stated that heavy snowfall was expected to occur in isolated areas in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh districts of Uttarakhand. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail, and gusty winds with speeds of 30-40 kmph are forecast at isolated locations in Uttarakhand.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the weather shifts to several factors, including a Western Disturbance, a cyclonic circulation over northwest Afghanistan and a trough extending from this circulation to the Northwest Arabian Sea in the lower and middle tropospheric levels. Additionally, an induced cyclonic circulation exists over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan at lower tropospheric levels.

The induced Low Pressure Area over northwest Rajasthan and its neighbouring regions has shifted over west Punjab and its surrounding areas, along with the associated cyclonic circulation, as per the IMD. A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from the night of March 5, 2024, the MeT Department added.