Thousands of pilgrims stranded as inclement weather forces suspension of Amarnath Yatra for second day

STATE TIMES NEWS

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.

Amarnath Yatra: Div Com directs DCs to increase lodgment capacity, activate EOCs
JAMMU: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar on Saturday chaired a meeting of concerned Deputy Commissioners to review the arrangements in view of yatra suspension due to bad weather conditions.
The Div Com inquired about the number of yatris accommodated in 5 districts of Jammu division including Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Ramban, and Udhampur. It was informed by the concerned Deputy Commissioners that around 6000 yatris have been lodged in Yatri Niwas Chanderkote- Ramban, 600 in Udhampur, 6000 in Jammu, 1200 in Samba and 1100 in Kathua district.
The Div Com directed the concerned DCs to increase accommodation capacity in their respective districts and ensure uninterrupted water, power supply to the lodgment centres. He also instructed the DCs to ensure that the EOCs (Control Rooms) function round the clock in all the districts.
The DCs were told to visit lodgment centres to oversee the provision of facilities to avoid any inconvenience to the pilgrims.
The Div Com also reviewed the status of National Highway at Ramban and instructed DC Ramban and Project Director NHAI to mobilize adequate men and machinery to clear the road and maintenance of the traffic worthiness of the old road.
The Div Com also asked to allow the pilgrims who want to visit local shrines, temples and tourist destinations in the districts they are staying.
It was informed that the Registration and distribution of tokens for Yatra will also be suspended for tomorrow.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa; Commissioner JMC, Rahul Yadav; Deputy Director Planning, Munish Dutta, while Deputy Commissioners of Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and Ramban alongwith concerned officers participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

Heavy rains have lashed large parts of Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday night while several high-altitude areas, including Mahaguns 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 the Pahalgam and the Baltal routes for the second day due to the inclement weather,” an official said.
“No fresh batch of yatris were 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. 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.
The pilgrims were stranded in Jammu and at various places including Chanderkote along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which was closed for traffic following multiple landslides and the washing away of a portion of the road near Panthiyal tunnel.
But the inclement weather has not dampened the spirits of devotees.
“I was supposed to leave for the Valley to join the yatra today (Saturday) but the closure of the highway and the weather did not allow further journey,” Deepu, a resident of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh told PTI at Bhagwati Nagar base camp.
Deepu, who was accompanied by several friends, said they will wait for the weather to clear and will complete their Yatra. “We are here on the call of ‘Baba Barfani’ and are not going back unless we perform darshan,” he said.
Manisha, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, said she had come with a lot of hopes and prayers and will wait till the next week before thinking of returning home.
The devotees were also stopped at the Baltal and the Nunwan base camps. A landslide occurred on the Baltal route of the Yatra track following heavy rain in the area. However, there were no reports of any loss of life.
The Yatra will resume once the weather improves, the officials said.
Suraj Sharma, a resident of Ghaziabad (UP), said he is satisfied with the arrangements made by the local administration for the pilgrims at the base camp. “We have left for the Yatra and we are going to complete it even if it means waiting for a month,” he said,
On Friday, a batch of 4,600 pilgrims was stopped at Chanderkote along the national highway in Ramban district to avoid crowding at the Pahalgam base camp after the Yatra’s temporary suspension.
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 meteorological department said intermittent light to moderate rain is likely to continue at most places in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, with the possibility of heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places of the Jammu division.
All the pilgrims are safe and sheltering at halting stations along the route, the officials said, adding that the yatra will resume after the weather improves.
Meanwhile, 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.