Uttarakhand: Authorities set 7-day timeline to restore rain-ravaged Kedarnath trek route

Rudraprayag, Aug 5 (PTI) Secretaries of departments assigned the task of restoring the rain-ravaged trek route to Kedarnath conducted an aerial survey and an on-spot inspection of the stretch on Monday and set a seven-day timeline to repair it for normal movement.

The trek route to Kedarnath suffered extensive damage as a result of a cloudburst in Junglechatti near Lincholi last Wednesday. More than 10,000 people have been rescued from Kedarnath, Bhimbali and Gaurikund so far.

According to an official release, Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman and Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey have set a seven-day deadline to restore of the trek route.

Public Works Department (PWD) officials who visited the area said 29 damaged spots on the route need to be repaired, out of which work on a 60-metre washed-out stretch in Junglechatti and a 15-metre damaged part in Ghodapadav near Gaurikund would be the most challenging.

The National Highways Authority of India has sought suggestions from all departments concerned on how to make the journey smooth for pilgrims within the stipulated timeline.

They have been asked to prepare an estimate of the necessary reconstruction to be undertaken and start the work immediately.

Apart from Vinod Kumar Suman and Vinay Shankar Pandey, the other officials who visited the affected areas included PWD Secretary Pankaj Pandey and Chief Engineer of National Highways Dayanand. PTI ALM ALM NSD NSD