Kailash Mansarovar yatra suspended, pilgrims airlifted

After the Kailash Mansarovar yatra was temporarily suspended, the pilgrims were airlifted on Wednesday. The route between Mangti and Malpa was damaged due to the recent cloudbursts in which 8 people were killed.

Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam officer from Nainital, D K Sharma said that 47 pilgrims of the 16^th batch were airlifted to Dharchula by helicopters and 23 members of the 13^th returning batch were airlifted to Pithoragarh from Gunji on Wednesday.

“The remaining members of returning 13^th batch will be airlifted tomorrow, the 16^th batch will now be airlifted from Dharchula to Gunji, as the Nigam is committed to complete the Yatra this year,” Sharma said.

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The action has been taken in view of broken roads at Malpa and Mangti where natural disaster struck two days ago, he said.

Meanwhile, the 40-member 17^th batch who reached Almora from New Delhi on Wednesday will also be airlifted to Gunji.

“We have made arrangements to complete the yatra even with the help of helicopters as only a small portion of the trek route has been damaged,” he said.

The rest of the yatra route is in good shape, said the KMVN officer. A total of 13 batches, out of 18 planned, have completed the yatra this year till date.

(With PTI inputs)

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