Chamoli, India—Landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains have blocked the Badrinath National Highway. Falling debris and massive boulders began cascading onto the road early Friday morning. The blockage occurred near the Gulabkoti stretch, effectively severing the primary transit route for thousands of pilgrims.

Long queues of vehicles quickly formed on both sides of the affected zone. Buses and private cars carrying travelers headed to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib remain stuck until further notice. Local authorities and road crews scrambled to deploy heavy machinery to the site to begin the removal process.

The meteorological department previously issued an orange alert for several districts across Uttarakhand. The warning cited the high probability of heavy to very heavy rainfall, which makes the unstable mountain terrain prone to soil saturation and slope failure. Local officials urged pilgrims to remain at their current locations.

Engineers from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited are leading the clearance efforts. They face significant challenges due to the ongoing downpour and the continuous threat of further landslides. Progress remains slow as the unstable hillsides continue to shed rocks.

Administration teams are coordinating with district disaster management offices to provide food and shelter to the stranded travelers. Many pilgrims have been redirected to nearby base camps in Joshimath. Authorities warned that the highway will not reopen until they can verify the structural integrity of the slopes.

Residents of nearby villages have been cautioned to avoid traveling toward the highway until the cleanup is complete. Police have established checkpoints to manage the flow of traffic and prevent more vehicles from entering the affected corridors. The situation is being treated as a high-priority disaster response task.

Travelers intending to use the highway are advised to monitor official government channels for updates before planning any movement. The local weather office expects the rain to continue throughout the next few days, keeping the risk level high.

Restoration of road connectivity depends entirely on the stabilization of the local weather conditions. There is currently no timeline for when regular traffic movement will fully resume.