Redevelopment works at Badrinath shrine suspended in view of biting cold

Biting cold in the Badrinath shrine area has forced the ongoing redevelopment works to stop for the rest of the winter. As the temperatures plunged to minus 10 degrees Celsius, unable to bear the chill, workers have returned to the lower areas.

According to officials, the work can resume only in March once the cold subsides.

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Construction works at the Badrinath Shrine were allowed to continue even after annual closure of the temple portals after Diwali. More than 50 workers were allowed to stay on for the Badrinath shrine master plan development project as there was no snowfall till a few days ago. The Master Plan implementing agency of the state government went ahead with the construction but with continuous decline in temperatures has forced the officials to stop the work.

Joshimath Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Executive Engineer Yogesh Manral informed that the drop in temperature has now made it difficult to continue works for riverfront, building construction and other projects the continuously falling temperatures have made it difficult to work.

According to Manral, these days temperatures at the shrine area are touching as low as -8 to -10 degrees Celsius. This has forced the workers to leave the Badrinath suburb and come down to Joshimath and other low lying places.

According to the local administration, persistent overcast has intensified the cold even during the afternoons for the past few days. This has forced the project implementing and masterplan executing agency to halt all construction works at the shrine.

“Cold in Badrinath Dham has reached a point where it is no longer possible to continue work. Operations have been suspended till March, and further decisions will be made after assessing the conditions in coming days” said Manral.