As the real magnitude of the destruction in Uttarakhand comes to the fore, NDTV travels to Kedar Valley, situated near Kedarnath, the worst-hit in the torrential rains and consequent floods in the state.
Roads leading to Kedarnath have been washed away by the raging waters, practically severing all connectivity to the pilgrim town where hundreds are still stranded, making rescue operations an uphill task for the Army.
A joint operation by the Army, Air Force and paramilitary forces has so far evacuated nearly 13,000 people stranded in the area but nearly 62,000 people remained cut off.
A completely destroyed road in the Kedarnath region. Pilgrimage to the shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand will not be able to resume for three years due to the extensive damage caused by heavy rains and floods in the last few days.
Due to heavy landslides and heavy rains, the route to Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines have been damaged. Seen here, people watch the swollen river from the banks.
Officials said there was no trace of a large number of pilgrims who were either headed to or returning from the shrine, built by Adi Shankara around 1,000 years ago.
A portion of the Kedarnath shrine compound has been washed away, however, the temple authorities have said that there have been no reports of damage to the temple, Press Trust of India reported.
More than 10,000 people have been rescued in efforts led by the army, said PM Manmohan Singh. More than 5000 people remain stranded in the Kedarnath region and another 15,000 are stuck in Badrinath and nearby areas.
The State Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre has said that casualties in the affected areas may run into thousands with about 90 'dharamashalas' (rest houses for pilgrims) swept away in the flash floods.
A large number of places are still inaccessible due to heavy flooding in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts and it is impossible to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the calamity.
