Amarnath Yatra suspended on both routes
Srinagar, Jun 30: The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on both Pahalgam and Baltal routes today due to inclement weather, officials said.
The Yatra has been suspended on both the routes as the tracks are slippery because of rain, a spokesperson of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said here.
While no pilgrim is allowed to proceed towards the cave shrine on foot, some pilgrims are using the helicopter services to undertake the pilgrimage, he added.
A flood alert was sounded in south and central Kashmir after many parts of the state were lashed by monsoon rains intermittently since June 27, leaving thousands of pilgrims who have reached the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Pahalgam in Anantnag district stranded.
The rains also triggered landslides and shooting stones at several places along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway yesterday, but timely action by the authorities concerned ensured that the 260-km road, remains open. However, the highway had to be closed once again today owing to the looming flood threat in the Valley.
Officials said over 5,000 pilgrims from various parts of the country had reached Jammu to participate in the Yatra.
Despite incessant rains, the pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas commenced as per schedule on June 28 after several hours of delay. However, the pilgrimage faced frequent disruptions owing to continuous rainfall.
The 60-day Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26 coinciding with the ‘Raksha Bandhan’ festival.
Meanwhile, the Amarnath Yatra was also suspended from Jammu today owing to frequent disruptions caused by heavy rains since the beginning of the annual pilgrimage.
“The Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here has been suspended. No pilgrim was allowed from here but the stranded convoy, carrying 2,032 pilgrims, including 315 women, left for Pahalgam base camp in south Kashmir this morning,” he said.
According to the officer, the decision to suspend the Yatra from Jammu was taken in view of inclement weather.
