Uttarakhand Police stop pilgrims at Sonprayag due to heavy rainfall warnings, halt Kedarnath Yatra for 3 days

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], August 13 (ANI): The Kedarnath Yatra on Wednesday has been halted for three days due to heavy rainfall warnings in Uttarakhand. Pilgrims are being stopped at Sonprayag and Jawadi police posts, with barricades set up to prevent them from proceeding further.
The district administration closed the yatra from August 12 to August 15 as a precautionary measure to ensure pilgrim safety.
When around 100-150 pilgrims tried to force their way past the barricades at Sonprayag, the police intervened and stopped them without any major incidents. Superintendent of Police Rudraprayag, Akshay Prahlad Konde, confirmed that the situation was brought under control without any issues.
Superintendent of Police Rudraprayag Akshay Prahlad Konde said, this morning, around 100-150 pilgrims reached Sonprayag and they tried to go ahead by arguing with the police at Sonprayag. The police stopped them and did not let them go. No incident has happened with anyone in this case.
"When they were stubborn despite instruction, the police had to take action to disperse them," he added.
This comes following a video of the altercation between the Rudraprayag Police and the pilgrims going viral in Sonprayag.
SP Rudraprayag Akshay Prahlad Konde said, "The video of the altercation between the police and the pilgrims has gone viral. Here, there is a red alert due to continuous rainfall. Yesterday, in an unfortunate incident, a woman lost her life and several others were injured, and after this, the district administration had stopped the pilgrimage for three days, which is effective till tomorrow. Despite that and putting up barricades, the pilgrims are reaching Sonprayag secretly"
The decision to halt the yatra was made considering the safety of pilgrims, as heavy rainfall can lead to landslides and accidents. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and will allow pilgrims to proceed once the weather improves.
He said that the pilgrims coming to Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra are being requested by the district police not to go beyond the district's police post at Jawadi. For this, barricading was also put up at Sonprayag by the police. However, some pilgrims began pushing the police and attempted to proceed by breaking the barrier.
The Kedarnath Yatra in Uttarakhand has been temporarily halted for three days due to a red alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy rainfall in the region.
The district administration has been put on high alert, and security arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of pilgrims and locals.
As per the predictions by the IMD, heavy rain is expected in Rudraprayag district and the entire state on August 12, 13 and 14.
The administration has been put on alert, given the warning of heavy rains. Security arrangements have also been made.
"As per the predictions by the IMD, red and orange alerts have been predicted in Rudraprayag and other districts of the state. The administration has been put on alert, and security arrangements have also been made," District Magistrate Prateek Jain said in a self-made video.
Jain further appealed to all locals residing near water bodies to shift to safer places, further stating that the water level of the river was being constantly monitored and weather alerts would be issued from time to time.
"We are keeping a check on the rising water levels of the river here. We also appeal to residents to shift to safer places and be safe...All personnel, including the police, public work department and disaster management teams, have been asked to be on alert. We will be keeping a check on the weather, and will let the public know when the Kedarnath Yatra will resume," Jain further added.
The Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located at an altitude of over 11,000 feet in the Himalayas and holds immense religious significance. The Kedarnath Yatra doors for the year 2025 were opened for devotees on May 2. (ANI)