Uttarkashi: A fresh spell of heavy snowfall in the upper Himalayan region has delayed restoration work at the flood-ravaged Yamunotri shrine.The revered shrine was damaged due to flash floods in July last year. Its restoration has been delayed due to accumulation of snow in the upper Himalayan reaches. This has led to unease among the priest community on whether the repairs will be done in time for the Char Dham Yatra which begins on May 7. Bageshwar Uniyal, spokesperson of Yamunotri Mandir Samiti told TOI, “Last year’s flash floods had destroyed the main connecting bridge of the temple, the hot water pool, safety walls and ghats, but despite repeated appeals, the government did not sanction the budget for the restoration works on time. The budget was eventually sanctioned in January this year, but now, government agencies are not able to start the work due to heavy snow accumulated at the shrine.”He added that “even though officials are claiming to complete the work before Char Dham Yatra begins, we are not sure whether it can happen.”Meanwhile, junior engineer of the public works department, Ravindra Chauhan, claimed that the worries of the shrine committee were unfounded. “The 6-km-long trek route from Jankichatti to Yamunotri shrine has been blocked due to heavy snowfall as a result of which we are facing some difficulties in transporting construction material to the shrine. We are working round the clock to restore the trek route. We are hopeful that the restoration work will begin within the next 2 to 3 days and conclude before the Char Dham Yatra begins.”

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