Badrinath highway blocked; pilgrims, poll team affected

The closure of Badrinath highway for the last three days due to a landslide at Jogidhara has become a bane for pilgrims going to temple and Hemkund Sahib. Vehicles have been stopped by the police between Chamoli and Karnaprayag which has led to a jam near the Langasu Police Station.

Pilgrims are being helped by police and SDRF personnel in crossing over rubble on the highway. The blocked highway made it difficult for polling agents deployed at remote stations in the hills for Wednesday's bypoll to Badrinath assembly seat to return to Gopeshwar. The agents returned in a helicopter on Thursday, the district election office said.