Amarnath yatra suspended due to rains

Srinagar: The Amarnath yatra was on Friday suspended as Kashmiri Valley has been experiencing incessant rains turning the tracks to the 3,888-metre-high cave-shrine slippery.

“There is also apprehension of landslides en-route”, said an official.

“Keeping in view their safety, the movement of pilgrims to the cave-shrine via the (shorter) Baltal route has been totally suspended due to nonstop rainfall in the entire yatra route since Wednesday night,” a spokesman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said.

Although 1,263 pilgrims proceeded towards Amarnath from traditional Pahalgam-Chandanwari route to the next halting place Sheshnag on Friday morning, latest reports from the area said that the pilgrims were not being allowed to move beyond it (Sheshnag) as it has become risky to walk on wet and slippery tracks.

The situation was reviewed at a meeting convened by Governor, Narendra Nath Vohra, here on Friday evening. Mr. Vohra who is also the chairman of the SASB asked for suspending the yatra immediately and for making arrangements for comfortable stay of pilgrims at the base-camps of Baltal and Nunwan and at various halting places en-route.

They said that on the second day of the annual pilgrimage 1,287 devotees who had already reached Amarnath, however, paid obeisance at the cave-shrine on Friday.

Reports said that the pilgrims who have already reached the shrine area have been advised not to attempt to return to the base-camps as it is dangerous to move along the slippery tracks.

“They will be allowed to walk down the tracks only when weather improves and it becomes safe for them to undertake journey back to the base-camps of Baltal and Pahalgam,” said SASB spokesman.