Uttarakhand orange alert: Schools shut, Char Dham pilgrims urged caution amid heavy rain
Synopsis
Uttarakhand is bearing the full brunt of the monsoon, with an IMD orange alert triggering school closures, a blocked Badrinath highway, and a damaged Tons River bridge — all while tens of thousands of Char Dham pilgrims are on the road. The combination of extreme rainfall forecasts and compromised infrastructure makes this one of the most serious weather alerts the state has seen this season.
Key Takeaways
The IMD has issued an orange alert for multiple Uttarakhand districts on 28 July amid intense monsoon activity.
All schools and Anganwadi centres in affected areas are closed on Tuesday as a precaution.
The Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Kanchannala due to debris accumulation.
A newly built bridge over the Tons River at Nanda Ki Chowki has been damaged, cutting the Dehradun–Vikasnagar–Himachal Pradesh road link.
Char Dham Yatra pilgrims heading to Kedarnath , Badrinath , Gangotri , and Yamunotri have been advised to verify weather conditions before travelling.
Very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is forecast for over 15 locations including Kedarnath , Badrinath , Munsyari , and Rudrapur .
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several districts in Uttarakhand on 28 July as relentless monsoon rainfall continues to batter the hill state, forcing authorities to close schools, block highways, and issue urgent advisories to Char Dham Yatra pilgrims. The state administration has stepped up precautionary measures, urging both residents and tourists to remain vigilant amid heightened risks of landslides and flash flooding.
Districts on High Alert
According to the weather department, heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning is expected in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Pauri Garhwal districts in the coming hours. Very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is also forecast for Purola, Barkot, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Sonprayag, Tharali, the Nanda Devi mountain region, Munsyari, Berinag, Gangolihat, Didihat, Jaspur, Rudrapur, Khatima, and adjoining areas.
Authorities have advised people in these regions to stay away from rivers and streams, avoid non-essential travel, and refrain from venturing into vulnerable locations until conditions improve.
Schools Shut, Char Dham Pilgrims Warned
As a precautionary measure, all schools and Anganwadi centres across the affected districts have been ordered shut on Tuesday. Pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham Yatra — covering Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — have been specifically advised to check the latest weather conditions before setting out. Officials warned that continuous rainfall could significantly elevate the risk of landslides, rockfalls, and other weather-related hazards across the mountainous terrain.
Roads Blocked, Bridge Damaged
The Badrinath National Highway has been blocked after debris accumulated near Kanchannala, disrupting vehicular movement along one of the state's most critical pilgrimage routes. Separately, heavy and sustained rainfall has damaged the newly constructed bridge over the Tons River at Nanda Ki Chowki in Prem Nagar, severing a key traffic link between Dehradun, Vikasnagar, and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
What Authorities Are Saying
District administrations have appealed to residents and tourists to strictly follow weather advisories issued by the IMD and local officials. With the monsoon now fully active across Uttarakhand and widespread rainfall reported over the past several days, officials stressed that hilly regions carry a persistently high risk of landslides. This is consistent with a pattern seen in recent monsoon seasons, where the state's fragile mountain geography amplifies the impact of prolonged rainfall events.
Authorities have urged people living in vulnerable zones to remain indoors and alert until the weather stabilises.
Point of View
The same corridors — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri — become choke points where religious footfall meets geological fragility, and the state's infrastructure repeatedly proves unequal to the combination. The damage to a newly constructed Tons River bridge is particularly telling: it signals that construction quality in high-rainfall zones remains a systemic concern, not an isolated incident. Until the state invests in real-time landslide monitoring and credible early-warning systems along pilgrimage routes, reactive advisories will remain the primary tool — and that is not enough.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IMD orange alert for Uttarakhand on 28 July?
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for several Uttarakhand districts on 28 July, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning. Districts including Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Pauri Garhwal are among those under the alert.
Are Char Dham Yatra pilgrims affected by the Uttarakhand rains?
Yes. Authorities have issued a specific advisory urging pilgrims heading to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri to check the latest weather conditions before beginning their journey. The Badrinath National Highway has also been blocked near Kanchannala due to debris, disrupting access.
Why have schools been closed in Uttarakhand?
All schools and Anganwadi centres in the affected districts have been shut on Tuesday as a precautionary measure in response to the IMD's forecast of intense rainfall and the associated risk of landslides and flash flooding.
Which roads and infrastructure have been damaged by the rains?
The Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Kanchannala after debris covered the roadway. A newly constructed bridge over the Tons River at Nanda Ki Chowki in Prem Nagar has also been damaged, disrupting the road connection between Dehradun, Vikasnagar, and Himachal Pradesh.
Which areas face the heaviest rainfall risk in Uttarakhand?
According to the IMD, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is forecast for Purola, Barkot, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Sonprayag, Tharali, the Nanda Devi region, Munsyari, Berinag, Gangolihat, Didihat, Jaspur, Rudrapur, Khatima, and surrounding areas. Residents in these zones have been told to avoid vulnerable locations.
