Kedarnath valley before and after the flash floods

The satellite images ISRO acquired on June 20 shows the extensive damage Kedarnath suffered after the June 16 floods. Infrastructure like roads, houses, etc., were badly damaged at Kedarnath and downstream.

The floods triggered by torrential rain in Uttarakhand the compound of famous Kedarnath temple but there was no damage to the structure itself, authorities said.

The Kedarnath shrine is one of the most revered shrines in the country, visited annually by millions. The temple is one of the four sacred sites on the Char Dham pilgrimage and is said to have been built over 1,000 years ago by Adi Shankara

The shrine is located at 3581 meters height which can be reached either by ponies or through a trek of 14 kilometers from Gauri Kund or by helicopter. The floods in June washed away all major roads to the area, leaving hundreds stranded. Choppers also faced problems because of the bad weather.

Not much progress has been made in clearing the debris deposited near the Kedarnath shrine, where a the flash flood deposited a 10-foot-high mound of debris, an official said.

Thousands of people have been reported missing after torrential rains wreaked havoc in the hill state last month and authorities fear that bodies buried under the mound of debris in Kedarnath Valley may start decomposing, leading to an epidemic.