Jammu, July 8: Due to adverse weather conditions prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra has been halted for a second consecutive day. Pilgrims are now forced to remain at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, according to officials.
The closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has prevented fresh batches of pilgrims from leaving Jammu to embark on their yatra. Heavy rainfall triggered a mudslide near Ramban in the early hours, leading to the suspension of traffic on the national highway.
Since the start of the yatra on July 1, over 80,000 pilgrims have already visited the holy cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The yatra was suspended on Friday due to widespread rain along both the traditional 48-kilometer Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
“No fresh batch of yatris were allowed to leave from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp this morning due to the suspension of the yatra in the Valley and the inclement weather,” stated a police official.
To avoid overcrowding at the Pahalgam base camp, a batch of 4,600 pilgrims was stopped at Chanderkote along the national highway in Ramban district after the temporary suspension of the yatra.
All the pilgrims are currently safe and taking shelter at various halting stations along the route. The yatra is expected to resume once the weather conditions improve.
The Meteorological office has forecasted widespread moderate to heavy rain with thundershowers in Jammu and Kashmir until Sunday, attributed to the influence of monsoon winds and western disturbances.
The annual pilgrimage, spanning 62 days, commenced on July 1 from both the Pahalgam and Baltal tracks. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.
