Rumours of shift in position of Kedarnath, Badrinath temples due to high footfall of pilgrims are false

Rumours of a shift in the position of Kedarnath and Badrinath temples due to high footfall of pilgrims are false, said Dr Sushil Kumar, Scientist, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun on Saturday.

"Even if there is a shift, it could be due to the tectonic movement of the Indian Plate, which is moving at the rate of 44mm/year. The possible shift could also be due to a fault lying below the temple," he said.

On comparisons with floods that took place in Kedarnath in 2013, he said that they occurred primarily due to heavy rainfall following multiple cloud bursts accompanied with significant snowfall which caused the water level to rise in the lake above the Kedarnath temple. Therefore, it was a completely different phenomenon.

Dr Kumar further appealed to the public that there was no need to panic as scientists were continuously monitoring the situation.