The government on Wednesday cancelled the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra of batches 2 to 10 due to torrential rains and flood in Uttarakhand that have caused heavy damage to the route.
The road between Almora and the road-head at Tawaghat has been washed away at several places and some major bridges have also been damaged. Walking trails beyond Tawaghat have also suffered badly due to landslides at several places.
"The state and local administrative authorities estimate that the restoration work may take up to one month to complete", the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
"Since the safety and security of the Yatris is of paramount importance, the Ministry has decided to cancel Batch Nos. 2-10 of this year's Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra," it said.
The yatra, held from June 9 to September 9, is organised by the Ministry. This year, 18 batches, each with a maximum 60 yatris, were planned to be sent for the Yatra.
The Yatra involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet, under inhospitable conditions, including extreme cold and rugged terrains.
The yatra is undertaken by hundreds of people every year. In 2012, a record number of 774 Yatris had undertaken the Yatra.
Each batch takes 22 days to complete the yatra. Out of these, 14 days are in Indian territory and eight days are inside the Chinese territory of Tibet.
The total distance of this yatra is 647 km (one side) in the Indian territory and 243 km (one side) inside the Chinese territory.
Helpline number for pilgrims in Uttarakhand are 0135-2710334/335/223 Army medical emergency helpline numbers -18001805558, 18004190282,8009833388
ITBP HELPLINE numbers: 01124362892, 9968383478
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