Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) A group of tourists from Maharashtra is stranded at Yamunotri, a key Char Dham site in Uttarakhand, and efforts are on by local authorities to rescue and move them to a safer location, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday.
The Maharashtra government is in touch with its Uttarakhand counterpart to ensure the safety of devotees, he said.
Shinde, however, did not disclose how many tourists from Maharashtra are stranded in the hill state where the sacred Char Dham Yatra is currently on.
“Some people from Maharashtra are stuck at Yamunotri Dham. I have personally spoken to one of the affected tourists from Mahabaleshwar (in Satara district). We are in touch with the government in Uttarakhand, and they have informed us that rescue operations are underway. Once rescued, the stranded pilgrims will be transported to a safer location in Rishikesh,” he said.
The Deputy CM was speaking to reporters in the premises of Vidhan Bhavan, where the state legislature is currently having its monsoon session.
Pilgrims were stranded at Yamunotri Dham due to a massive landslide triggered by a cloudburst on Sunday. The pilgrimage to Yamunotri remained disrupted on Monday with the highway to the Himalayan temple breached at several points.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya said with normal rainfall on Monday, the road restoration work along Yamunotri has gathered pace.
“Opening it (highway) to traffic is our priority. Yamunotri pilgrims held up in places like Janakichatti and other such places are safe. There are medical teams, administrative personnel and enough food supplies for them,” Arya said on Monday. PTI ND RSY
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