Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib Covered In White As Uttarakhand's Chamoli Receives First Snowfall Of Season

The higher areas of Uttarakhand's Chamoli received the first snowfall of the season following the incessant rain that lashed parts of the state over the last two days.

As incessant rainfall continued to batter Uttarakhand, the higher reaches of Chamoli district received the first snowfall of the season on Monday, ANI reported. The hills of Badrinath Dham, Hemkund Sahib and Rudranath in the Chamoli district were covered by snow on Monday morning. Uttarakhand is expected to receive rainfall on Monday and then again from Wednesday to Friday, said the IMD in its bulletin. This comes as Uttarakhand has been facing monsoon mayhem for the past few weeks, with frequent landslides, flash floods being reported.

Last week, continuous rainfall led to piling up of debris near National Highway 9 in Amori village. Debris also accumulated on the Badrinath National Highway near Pagalnala, leading to temporary blockage of the road.

The debris accumulation led to hurdles for commuters and pilgrims heading to Badrinath temple town.

However, authorities were quick to respond to the situation and deployed personnel and heavy machinery to clear the debris on the crucial route.

The Badrinath National Highway, which connects pilgrimage sites, including Badrinath and Kedarnath, is a lifeline for the area's tourism and religious activities.

In the last week of August, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced a 'red' alert for the state in view of very heavy rainfall.

The Uttarakhand State Emergency Operation Centre has asked all district magistrates to take precautions in their respective districts amid a strong possibility of heavy to very heavy rains lashing isolated places.