Char Dham Yatra suspended as heavy rain swells rivers, shuts roads in hill states; Delhi under yellow alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, forecasting light rain and a generally cloudy sky until Thursday afternoon, with another spell of showers likely later in the night.

According to the IMD’s latest weather bulletin, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places across several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Punjab, Karnataka, West Bengal, Sikkim, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.

The weather agency has also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, coastal Andhra Pradesh, interior Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, parts of Maharashtra, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.

Char Dham Yatra suspended amid rising rivers

In Uttarakhand, authorities suspended the Char Dham Yatra after heavy rainfall caused rivers, including the Ganga, to swell and triggered landslides across the state.

More than 109 roads have been closed, including the Tyuni-Mussoorie-Maletha National Highway and the pedestrian route from Janakichatti to Yamunotri near Ram Mandir. Authorities are arranging alternative routes where possible.

Water levels in several rivers have crossed warning marks. In Haridwar, the Ganga was flowing at 292.90 metres, just 0.10 metres below the warning level. The Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers also crossed their warning levels in Rudraprayag, prompting officials to advise residents and pilgrims to stay away from riverbanks and move to safer locations if necessary.

Over 150 roads shut in Himachal Pradesh

Heavy rainfall continued to disrupt normal life in Himachal Pradesh, where 152 roads were closed due to landslides and flooding.

Mandi district accounted for the highest number of closures with 57 blocked roads, followed by Chamba (33), Kullu (31) and Shimla (14).

The state has recorded 258.2 mm of rainfall between July 1 and 29, exceeding the seasonal average of 238.6 mm by 8%, according to official data. Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel in vulnerable areas as rain is expected to continue.