Highway to Adi Kailash reopens after 4 days, inner-line permit issuance still on hold

Dehradun/Pithoragarh: The Dharucula-Lipulekh National Highway, which was blocked by a major landslide at Chetuldhar last Friday, reopened after four days once the debris was cleared from the affected places on Tuesday, said officials."The debris has been cleared, but full traffic movement will resume once the weather stabilises, as the road still remains highly vulnerable to landslides," said Bhupendra Singh Mahar, the district disaster management officer.As many as 50 pilgrims on their way to Adi Kailash, including 31 from Tamil Nadu, were airlifted on Sunday and Monday after being stranded in various parts of Pithoragarh due to landslides that occurred on Sept 13, blocking crucial roads.More than 100 tourists remain stranded in Dharchula, where they have been stuck for the past five days as the administration has suspended the issuance of inner-line permits for Adi Kailash and Om Parvat due to persistent landslides and adverse weather conditions.Nitish Bhardwaj, a tourist from Delhi, said, "We've been stuck in Dharchula for several days, unable to obtain the permit for Adi Kailash. It's very frustrating, and we've spent all our money to reach here.""The district administration has decided not to issue inner-line permits for Adi Kailash and Om Parvat until the weather and road conditions are fully stable", said Mahar.