Landslides kill 20 near Badrinath

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">DEHRADUN: More than 20 persons died and around 5,000 pilgrims are reportedly stranded as landslides and floods washed away the Govindghat-Badrinath highway. The state government has suspended the Yatra for 20 days.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">However unofficial sources say around 30 people have died.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">State Chief Secretary Dr R S Tolia said about 5,000 pilgrims were stranded in Badrinath shrine area due to landslides and floods in Lambagad area last night.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"On the advice of the Border Road Organisation, we are suspending Badrinath Yatra for 20 days," he told reporters here.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Steps were being taken to evacuate the stranded pilgrims from the shrine area, the Chief Secretary said, adding all pilgrims proceeding towards Badrinath shrine were being told to return home.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">However, the Yatra to other centres like ''Hemkund Sahib'' and Kedarnath would continue, he added.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"Our unofficial reports suggest that there are 5000 pilgrims stranded in Badrinath shrine area," Tolia said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He said a three-km-long tunnel of the Vishnuprayag hydel project could be used as an alternative route to reach Badrinath area.</span><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He said arrangements were being made with the help of police, forest department, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and BRO 1to send relief to the stranded pilgrims. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Tolia said the cloud burst occurred at Lambagad area, close to Vishnuprayag, the site of the 300 mw hydel project being constructed by the state government. However, no damage was caused to the project.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Vishnuprayag is only four kms aways from Lambagad.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">A control room is being set up at the state secretariat with phone no 0135-2710233, the Home secretary said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">In an appeal, Chief Minister N D Tiwari advised the pilgrims not to visit the Badrinath area in the next 20 days during which the road repair work would continue. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Tolia said the government was making all efforts to rescue the stranded pilgrims using an underground tunnel of the Vishnuprayag project. If need be, the help of Air Force would be sought, he added.</span><br /></div> </div>