Amarnath Yatra resumes from Panjtarni, Sheshnag after 3 days, 6,491 perform Darshan

NH closed for second day, restoration work on

STATE TIMES NEWS

Srinagar: The Amarnath yatra resumed on Sunday from Panjtarni and Sheshnag base camps after remaining suspended for three days due to inclement weather in Kashmir, officials said here.
As soon as the skies cleared around the cave shrine, the authorities opened the gates and allowed the stranded devotees to offer prayers at the naturally formed ice-lingam in south Kashmir Himalayas, they said.
“Those devotees who had already performed ‘darshan’ have been allowed to return to Baltal base camp,” a senior official at the Panjtarni base camp told PTI over phone.

HM speaks to LG Sinha, takes stock of rain situation
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to the lieutenant governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi and enquired about the situation in the union territories in the wake of the incessant rains, sources said.
Shah also took an update from the Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha about the Amarnath pilgrimage which was suspended due to the heavy rains.
“The home minister also spoke to LG of the Jammu and Kashmir and took updates about Amarnath pilgrimage which was suspended due to heavy rains,” PTI reported quoting a source.
Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said.
An interaction between a western disturbance and monsoonal winds is leading to an intense rainfall spell over northwest India, including Delhi which experienced the season’s first “very heavy” rainfall.

According to an official spokesperson, a batch of 6491 yatries performed Darshan at Holy cave, on Sunday.
Among the yatries who paid obeisance at the cave included 4700 males, 1456 females, 213 children, 116 Sadhus and six Sadvis. 93929 pilgrims have performed Darshan at Shri Amarnathji Shri till date. The Army has sheltered more than 700 Amarnath pilgrims at its camp in Qazigund in Anantnag district after they were stranded due to heavy rainfall in the valley.
Earlier, in the day no fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed from Jammu owing to inclement weather and closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said.
Meanwhile, traffic movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained suspended for the second day on Sunday as authorities stepped up efforts to restore the road amid improved weather conditions, officials said.
The 270-km highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed for traffic on Saturday following heavy rains overnight that triggered multiple landslides and also washed away a portion of nearly 40-metre road stretch near Panthiyal tunnel in Ramban district.
The closure of the highway left over 3,500 vehicles, including those carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu to Kashmir, stranded at different places.
After hectic efforts, the highway was partially opened for stranded vehicles with concerned agencies bypassing the damaged road stretch by connecting an old road alignment and clearing the debris, the officials said.
However, they said sinking of road at Chamba near Seeri and fresh landslides at Mehar and Cafeteria Morh forced the authorities to suspend the traffic once again.
Ramban Deputy Commissioner Massarat-ul-Islam, along with Senior Superintendent of Police, traffic national highway, Rohit Baskotra, and senior officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) visited the problematic spots, including Panthiyal, to inspect the ongoing works.
“Efforts are going on at war footing to ensure early opening of the highway. The damaged portion of road near Panthiyal was a temporary arrangement as work on a bridge was going on. The engineers are working on a plan to make the permanent bridge connecting T3 and T5 tunnels motorable to allow traffic through T5 tunnel bypassing Panthiyal slide,” NHAI Project Director Parshutam Kumar told PTI.
He said necessary works like filling and grading are in progress to allow traffic via the newly constructed bridge over Panthiyal nullah.
“Different agencies are working round-the-clock to ensure early restoration of the highway. We request people to know the condition of the road from the traffic department before starting their journey,” SSP Baskotra said.
He said all the pilgrims stranded on the highway are safe and are being provided all facilities.
Ajay Kumar, an engineer working with a private construction company, said they are expecting to provide an alternative road near Panthiyal tunnel by this evening.
“The operation to clear the landslide debris and bypass the damaged portion of the road near Panthiyal tunnel through old road alignment is going on. Frequent shooting of stones from the hillocks overlooking the highway at Panthiyal delayed the restoration work,” a traffic department official said.
He said stranded vehicles will be cleared on priority once the road is made trafficable before allowing fresh traffic from Jammu and Srinagar.
The official said a fresh landslide at Ratta Chamb has blocked the Mughal road.
The road was cleared for traffic late afternoon on Saturday but was again blocked due to a fresh landslide, the official said, adding the clearance operation is on.