Amarnath Yatra suspended to carry out ‘maintenance of urgent nature' after heavy rain
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir V K Bhiduri said the annual pilgrimage, scheduled to end on August 9, has been suspended along both the Sonamarg-Baltal and Pahalgam-Chandwanri routes.
'There have been recent heavy rains in the Shri Amarnathji Yatra area on both Pahalgam and Baltal axis. Maintenance works of urgent nature are required to be carried out…,' Divisional Commissioner Bhiduri said in a statement.
He said that the 'repair and maintenance works are already being carried out' on the Pahalgam route of the Yatra. 'Due to the recent heavy rain, repair and maintenance works are required to be undertaken on the Baltal Axis of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra route. In the interest of safety of the yatris, no yatra will be allowed on August 3 from the Baltal route also. Further updates will be issued in due course of time,' he said.
Officials said yatra convoys from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar towards the Valley have been stopped.
Bhiduri said more than 4.05 lakh yatris 'have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave of Shri Amarnathji this year'.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
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