Overview
- Thousands of devotees were left stranded in multi-kilometre queues on the Badrinath National Highway near Joshimath as vehicle movement slowed to a crawl during the peak pilgrimage rush.
- Chamoli police reported roughly 30,000–35,000 pilgrims heading to Badrinath daily and another 5,000–10,000 to Hemkund Sahib, figures officials say have overwhelmed the narrow mountain route.
- Authorities activated a token-based one-way gate and now allow vehicles to advance in controlled batches about every 30 minutes while deploying extra police and traffic teams at key choke points.
- Officials attribute part of the repeated congestion to a roughly 10-kilometre stretch between Joshimath and Vishnuprayag that was weakened by earlier ground subsidence and is in poor condition.
- Pilgrims reported hours-long delays, limited access to food and rest stops, and parking shortages, and the situation highlights how the annual Char Dham Yatra strains limited Himalayan road infrastructure.