Fresh cracks appear on Badrinath highway near Joshimath ahead of Char Dham Yatra

Uttarakhand, still reeling from the land subsidence disaster of Joshimath, has discovered 10 new cracks on Badrinath highway two days after the state government announced Char Dham yatra commencement date, The Times Of India reported.

Large cracks have appeared on the highway that connects to Badrinath, one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India. The locals have said that most of the cracks have appeared on the 10km stretch between Joshimath and Marwari.

Speaking to TOI, Sanjay Uniyal of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS) pointed out that the situation on ground is contrary to the claims made by the state government as old cracks are widening and new cracks are emerging.

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However, officials have brushed off the issue by saying that it is not cause of concern and the cracks are being investigated.

The Badrinath shrine will open on April 27 and the pilgrimage will begin on April 25 according to the dates announced by the government. The locals fear that the yatra will invite lakhs of pilgrims to the ecologically sensitive zone.

Last year, around 40 lakh people traveled to the Himalayan shrines namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri recording the highest footfall.

Meanwhile, last month, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami said that the land subsidence won’t affect the Char Dham Yatra and the safety of the devotees will be taken care of.

But many experts believe that the pilgrimage traffic and the infrastructure and arrangements made for it could worsen the fragile environment in the state and there is potential danger to pilgrims.