Heavy monsoon rains triggered landslides and road blockages across Uttarakhand, disrupting the Char Dham Yatra as the IMD warned of more rainfall and flash floods.
July 2, 2026: Heavy monsoon rain battered Uttarakhand on Thursday, triggering landslides, boulder falls and rising river levels that temporarily disrupted the Badrinath and Kedarnath pilgrimages. The Badrinath National Highway was blocked after mud and debris entered houses at Gulabkoti near Jyotirmath in Chamoli district, while the Kedarnath Yatra was suspended for several hours after a landslide blocked the Sonprayag–Munkatiya route. Authorities later restored traffic after clearing debris with heavy machinery, but the state remains on high alert amid forecasts of more intense rainfall.
The Rudraprayag district administration activated round-the-clock monitoring of rivers, streams and vulnerable locations as the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers continued to swell, though they remained below the danger mark. Residents in vulnerable areas were shifted to safer locations, while pilgrims were advised to avoid riverbanks and follow official advisories. In Uttarkashi, one Border Roads Organisation (BRO) employee went missing after a motorcycle plunged into a deep gorge near Bhaironghati, while two others were injured. A separate road accident in the district left another person injured.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Uttarakhand received 157% excess rainfall over the past 24 hours and issued an orange alert for Nainital and Bageshwar, with yellow alerts for several other districts. The weather agency warned that heavy rain, thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides are likely to continue until July 6, prompting authorities to maintain heightened vigilance across the Char Dham Yatra routes and other vulnerable regions.