Rain hampers Amarnath Yatra
The Amarnath Yatra to the cave shrine in south Kashmir has been suspended from Baltal route due to multiple landslides en route. Heavy rainfall has been witnessed in the valley over the past two days.
Landslides at multiple places have damaged the Kali Mata track, a police official said. This has further forced the suspension of the yatra from Baltal route.
"Restoration work is going on but a slight drizzle is hampering restoration work," he added.
The yatra was going on through the Pahalgam route, confirmed an official of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
Only a small batch of 856 yatris were allowed to move towards the valley earlier today, following heavy rains along two base camps in Baltal and Pahalgam.
"No pilgrim was allowed to move towards the Cave Shrine because of rain and slippery conditions along the two treks," an official said. "A third batch of 856 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 6.25 am in an escorted convoy of 29 vehicles," police said.
Reports from the two base camps in Baltal and Pahalgam indicate that it has been raining all along the two treks leading to the Cave Shrine since early on Friday.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway in the Ramban district was blocked on Thursday for several hours. This route is taken by the pilgrim convoys to reach the valley. Heavy rains on Friday again slowed down the traffic.
Also Read | J&K: Rainfall stalls Amarnath Yatra in Baltal & Pahalgam
This year's Amarnath Yatra started on Thursday as 1,007 pilgrims prayed inside the cave shrine. The 60-day long Yatra will end on August 26 coinciding with Shravan Purnima festival.
