India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
One of most devine pilgrimage for Hindus, Shri Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from Jammu as a precautionary measure due to heavy rains and poor weather conditions in the region, authorities said on Saturday.
Authorities have decided not to send a fresh batch of pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp towards the Kashmir Valley till the weather clears up.
The Shri Amarnath Yatra from Jammu is suspended due to heavy rains and poor weather conditions forecast until August 11, pausing the departure of new pilgrims from the base camp, although over 4.75 lakh have already visited since July 3.
The decision comes as the Met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in the Jammu region till August 11.
Authorities have also said that they have witnessed a decrease in the number of pilgrims arriving at the Jammu base camp due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the annual Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on July 3, has drawn over 4.75 lakh pilgrims so far and is set to conclude on August 28, Raksha Bandhan.
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained normal despite the rains, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged people to remain patient as the road-winding teams take care of the highway.
He further said that fruit-laden vehicles have been prioritised on the highway during the fruit season, while tankers carrying petroleum products from Jammu have also been given priority to maintain the supply chain of essential commodities.
Authorities are closely monitoring the weather before taking a call on the resumption of Amarnath Yatra from Jammu.
