RUDRAPRAYAG, Aug 26 : The trek route to Kedarnath was fully reopened on Monday for the movement of pilgrims, according to officials.
The route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath was closed for the last 26 days after it suffered extensive damage in the heavy rainfall that lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on the night of July 31.
The 19-kilometre route was damaged at 29 places with debris blocking the road or its large portions breached.
The route has been fully reopened now also for horses and mules which are used to ferry pilgrims to the Himalayan temple, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.
The supply of rations and other essential items on the backs of horses and mules through the route has also resumed, he said.
Rain-induced landslides along the route had left thousands of people stranded, prompting the administration to launch a massive rescue operation aided by the IAF’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters, besides private choppers.
More than 11,000 people, including pilgrims and locals, were evacuated to safety during the week-long rescue operation monitored closely by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.( PTI)
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