More than 2 thousand pilgrims stranded for 48 hours due to closure of Badrinath National Highway

Due to the closure of Badrinath National Highway, more than two thousand pilgrims are stranded in Joshimath and surrounding areas for 48 hours. They will be stranded for 48 hours at 6 am on Thursday. Internet and mobile phone services were also disrupted for several hours in Joshimath.
Devotees from UP, Delhi-NCR, MP, Rajasthan etc. are badly stuck due to landslides on the highway while going to visit the Dham. The stranded passengers were neither able to contact their families nor buy goods by making online payments.
From daily use items to hotel accommodation, prices suddenly became 1.5 times more expensive. Due to voting for the by-election, the market was closed on Wednesday, so many pilgrims could not get the necessary items. Due to this, the pilgrims had to face a lot of problems.
About 30 meters of the highway was completely destroyed by a landslide at 6 am on Tuesday. It has to be built afresh. That is why it is taking more time. Travelers who went beyond Joshimath to visit Badrinath got stuck due to the road being closed.
The Border Roads Organisation team is struggling to open the road. The road is expected to open on Thursday. Travelers say that they faced the most trouble due to the internet shutdown. There was less cash in their pockets and they were not able to make online payments to buy essential goods.
People were seen upset due to not being able to contact their family members. Mobile and internet services were restored at around 7 pm. At the same time, women passengers said that they are facing a lot of trouble due to the absence of public toilets. Rooms in hotels and lodges are very expensive. The problems of passengers increased further due to the closure of markets due to by-elections.
Passengers raised questions on the arrangements
Due to the closure of the Badrinath Highway, the passengers stranded in Joshimath and nearby areas are facing problems. Rahul and Deepak Jaiswal, residents of Faridabad, who were returning after visiting Hemkund, said that no one was giving them correct information about the opening of the highway. They were not able to contact their family members due to the internet being down.
The same was the condition of other passengers stranded there. Hapur residents Monu Saini, Monu Bharti, Ajay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar and Mohit Kumar were also stranded. On Tuesday night, they could not find a room anywhere and spent the entire night sitting in the bus. They said that if the administration wanted, it could have accommodated the passengers at any public safe place.
No one had any information about when the road would open. Ved Prakash, a resident of Rangpuri, Delhi, said that at night the hotel owner first told him the rent of the room was 1100 rupees but later refused to give him the room. He got tea for 20 rupees and bread pakora for 25 rupees.
Arjun Singh Nagar, Nawab Singh, residents of Vasant Kunj Delhi also got stuck in Joshimath. Joshimath Gurudwara manager Seva Singh said that 700 pilgrims are staying in Govindghat Gurudwara and 600 in Joshimath Gurudwara. Arrangements have been made for their food and accommodation. Meanwhile, SDM Joshimath Chandrashekhar Vashishth said that arrangements for accommodation for the pilgrims are being made in the Gurudwara.