Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Uttarakhand Village Faces Lonely Raksha Bandhan After Road Collapse
Batoli is a small village in Uttarakhand that has lost its road after a landslide.
People must walk down and up a gorge that is almost 300 feet deep.
Rain makes the path muddy, slippery and dangerous.
This means relatives do not want to visit the village.
Some sisters cannot travel to see their brothers for Raksha Bandhan.
One woman sent her rakhi through relatives instead.
Sick residents can also struggle to get medicine.
Some families have moved their children elsewhere during the rainy season so they can attend school safely.
A landslide destroyed the road connecting Batoli village with the surrounding area.
Residents must cross a nearly 300-foot gorge on foot to reach the village.
Monsoon rain makes the muddy, slippery route especially dangerous and difficult to cross.
The isolation has disrupted medical care, education, family visits and Raksha Bandhan plans.
Villagers say repeated requests for a permanent road or bridge have produced no solution.
- Who
- Residents of Batoli village, including women observing Raksha Bandhan, are affected.
- What
- A landslide-damaged road has left the village accessible only through a dangerous gorge.
- When
- The situation is especially difficult during the monsoon and ahead of Raksha Bandhan.
- Where
- Batoli village, in Dehradun district’s Sahaspur Assembly constituency, Uttarakhand, about 30 kilometres from Dehradun.
- Why
- The village has no functioning road or bridge after a landslide destroyed the road, and residents say their requests for permanent access remain unresolved.
- Village
- Batoli
- District
- Dehradun district, Uttarakhand
- Distance from Dehradun
- Approximately 30 kilometres
- Gorge depth
- Nearly 300 feet
- Households
- Around 20 to 25 families
- Temporary assistance
- Two Public Works Department workers maintain the walking route from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Main impact
- Residents face difficulties with travel, medicine, education, family visits and Raksha Bandhan celebrations.