Uttarakhand

The holy town of Kedarnath, nestled in the high Himalayas, is experiencing extreme winter conditions, with 3-4 feet of snow blanketing the shrine and temperatures plummeting to -16°C.

The Rudraprayag district administration told ANI that amid continuous snowfall in the state's high Himalayan regions, the holy town of Kedarnath, the abode of Baba Kedar, has been completely blanketed in snow. At present, around 3 to 4 feet of snow has accumulated at the shrine, and temperatures have dropped to below- 16 degrees Celsius.

Despite the harsh weather, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Rudraprayag Police are braving the cold, conducting continuous patrolling around the temple premises and sensitive areas.

Even in extreme cold and icy winds, the forces are carrying out continuous patrolling in and around the temple premises and other sensitive areas.

The district administration and police have been alerted to the possibility of avalanches, and personnel are maintaining heightened vigilance.

The Rudraprayag district administration and the police department jointly stated that, despite difficult terrain, the morale of the security forces remains high. The security arrangements at Kedarnath Dham are fully robust and in place.

In view of the possibility of snowfall and avalanches in the high-altitude regions of Uttarakhand, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) has alerted all districts. According to the forecast issued by the Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Chandigarh, there is a likelihood of snowfall and avalanches in various high-altitude areas of the state from 5:00 PM on January 27 to 5:00 PM on January 28.

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As per the DGRE warning, the districts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, and Rudraprayag have been placed in the Orange Category (Category-3). In this category, deep, unstable snow is present on most avalanche paths, increasing the likelihood of natural avalanches.

Such avalanches may be of medium size and can reach the valley floor. In these conditions, limited movement is considered appropriate only on selected, relatively safer routes, with extreme caution. Any activity on snow-laden slopes can be highly risky.