Jammu/Srinagar- The Amarnath Yatra was suspended for the second consecutive day on Saturday following incessant rains and landslides, leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded in Jammu and at various places en route to the cave shrine.
Union minister Jitendra Singh assured the pilgrims that senior officials are monitoring the situation and requested them not to panic and to follow instructions issued by authorities from time to time.
Heavy rains have lashed large parts of Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday night while several high-altitude areas, including Mahagunas Top and adjoining areas near the Amarnath cave shrine, experienced snowfall. Some places witnessed record rainfall over a 24-hour period for July.
“The Yatra remains suspended from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes for the second day due to the inclement weather,” an official said.
“No fresh batch of yatris was allowed (to leave) from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp this morning in view of the suspension of the Yatra in the Valley and the inclement weather,” a police official told PTI.
Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar said nearly 15,000 pilgrims were stranded in the Jammu region and directed deputy commissioners of five districts to increase accommodation capacity and activate Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs).
Around 6000 people each have been lodged at ‘yatri niwas’ in Jammu and Ramban districts, 1200 in Samba, 1100 in Kathua and 600 in Udhampur districts.
A spokesman said registration and distribution of tokens for Yatra will also remain suspended for the second day on Sunday.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the safety of the yatris was of utmost importance and all arrangements were in place.
“The Yatra is reviewed twice every day. We take hourly reports. I hope the weather improves from tomorrow so that the Yatra restarts,” he told reporters.
The meteorological department has predicted widespread light to moderate rains, accompanied by thundershowers, under the influence of monsoon winds and western disturbances across Jammu and Kashmir till Sunday.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.
Over 80,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine so far.
Yatris stranded at Baltal seek Help
Amarnath pilgrims stranded at the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam following the suspension of the Yatra due to inclement weather have urged authorities to evacuate them.
The yatra was suspended on Friday following widespread rain and landslides, particularly along the twin tracks — the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Nearly 50,000 pilgrims are put up at various base camps in Kashmir valley with almost 19,000 at Baltal base camp in the Ganderbal district.
Ronali Shah said she has been stuck at Panjtarni base camp since Thursday noon. “We reached here three days ago at 4 pm. Despite the sunny weather, the helicopter services operator did not fly us down to Pahalgam” Shah said.
She even urged authorities to change the private helicopter service provider that flew stranded pilgrims from the Panjtarni base camp.
“The private helicopter left behind the yatris who had made online bookings while they were taking passengers who had booked tickets offline,” a man accompanying Shah said. However, several are determined to wait for the weather to improve and proceed with the yatra thereafter.
Two pilgrims from Punjab said they have been waiting for the rainfall to subside and are praying sincerely so that they can resume their pilgrimage. Rahul, one of the pilgrims who encountered a landslide near Nathal said he somehow managed to escape and reach the Panthachowk base camp here. Narendra Kumar, another yatri, said the pilgrims had to face difficulties on the way due to heavy rain, landslides and shooting stones.
“We had to run several kilometres to escape the shooting stones. Now we are stuck here at the camp,” Kumar said.
Union Minister speaks to officials
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that senior officials are monitoring the situation and adequate arrangements have been made on the ground.
“…Efforts are being made to evacuate the stranded Yatris as soon as the weather shows even the slightest improvement. We are constantly in touch with the authorities.
“I have personally spoken to Army Commander, Northern Command, Lt Gen (Upendra) Dwivedi, and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Amarnath Shrine Board, Dr Mandip Bhandari. Both the senior officers personally monitor the situation,” the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
He said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF are already on the job. “The yatris are requested not to panic and follow instructions issued by the authorities from time to time,” the minister added.
The Yatra was suspended on Friday following widespread rain, particularly along the twin tracks – the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
“The yatra has been stopped and it cannot take place in such weather,” the LG said.
On a query over the condition of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and the frequent disruptions caused due to bad weather, Sinha said the highway will see smooth traffic when the final tunnel is complete and operational.
“A portion of the road near the tunnel has caved in due to heavy rain. An alternative road (which was there earlier) has been readied and yatris will move via that.
“I have taken an assessment in the afternoon, once the weather situation improves, we will build a Bailey bridge in the coming three days and LMVs will be allowed on that. A permanent solution will come only when the tunnels are ready,” he said.
Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar directed the deputy commissioners to ensure uninterrupted water and power supply to guest houses where pilgrims were staying, the spokesman said adding, he also instructed the DCs to ensure that the EOCs function round the clock in all the districts.
The DCs were told to visit lodgement centres to oversee the provision of facilities to avoid any inconvenience to the pilgrims, the spokesman said.
He said the Divisional Commissioner also reviewed the status of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and instructed Deputy Commissioner Ramban and Project Director National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to mobilise adequate men and machinery for early restoration of the road.
Kumar also asked the DCs to allow the pilgrims who want to visit local shrines, temples and tourist destinations in the districts of their stay.
Security Forces Remain Alert
The Army is conducting area domination patrols daily along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway with drones, surveillance equipment and sniffer dogs to ensure a secure passage for Amarnath pilgrims, officials said on Saturday.
The drills on the highway are an integral part of the multi-security grid responsible for facilitating a smooth and incident-free pilgrimage spanning 62 days from July 1, they said.
“The Army undertakes intense area domination patrolling along the entire route of the yatra, from Jammu to Banihal and beyond, providing security to pilgrims,” a senior security official told PTI.
The Northern Army commander and the corps commanders oversee the security arrangements and regularly assess the ground situation, they added.
The Amarnath yatra attracts devotees from across the globe and contributes significantly to the local economy, benefiting small villages along the route, as well as larger towns and cities in Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said.
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