Unregistered pilgrims, tourists not to be allowed beyond Ramban
JAMMU: The Jammu & Kashmir administration on Friday said that due to security reasons unregistered Amarnath pilgrims and tourists shall not be allowed to move beyond Navyug Tunnel in Ramban district towards Kashmir after 3.30pm till August 11 when the 43-day long pilgrimage ends.
“The unregistered pilgrims and tourists are reaching Ramban in their own vehicles and are exposing themselves to serious security threat besides posing problems for us in regulating the movement of vehicles to Valley,” said a senior police officer.
It may be stated here that various terror outfits have issued threats to sabotage the annual Amarnath Yatra this year.
Ramban is 121 kms from Jammu on National Highway 44.
The pilgrimage began on June 30 after a gap of two years due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Cut-off of 1.30pm at JP Gate
“Due to security reasons no unregistered Yatri or tourist will be allowed to move towards Kashmir Valley after 3.30pm every day till August 11. To ensure this, a cut off of 1.30pm will be established at JP Gate in Chanderkote which will stop the unregistered Yatris and tourists and they will be lodged in Yatri Niwas Chanderkote,”
said Ramban senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mohita Sharma.
“This will happen on a daily basis till the culmination of Amarnath ji Yatra,” she added.
However, NH 44 remains open for all other vehicles and heavy motor vehicles (HMVS).
Mohita Sharma said that she will set up a check post at 1.30pm at Chanderkote from where all the Yatris will be sent to the newly constructed Yatri Niwas. A senior official advised the pilgrims to follow the advisory and rules meant for their safety.
“Though we are providing all the facilities of free boarding and lodging besides health facilities and allied facilities to the pilgrims in Yatri Niwas at Chanderkote, unregistered pilgrims certainly compound problems for themselves and the administration,” he said.
He said that people in the guise of tourists were reaching Ramban on way to Kashmir, from where they head to the Amarnath cave shrine.
“We can’t stop tourists from going to Valley because they have the bookings and from there many head to Amarnath cave shrine. However, we advise them to adhere to the advisory in the wake of terror threats issued by various terror outfits for their own safety and security,” said the official.
It may be recalled here that in 2017 a bus of Amarnath pilgrims from Gujarat was attacked by terrorists in Anantnag district that left seven of them dead.
4 Amarnath pilgrims injured in road mishap in Ramban
Four Amarnath Yatris were injured after a Tempo Traveler they were travelling in skidded off the road near Sherbibi in Banihal area of Ramban district around 6am on Friday, said officials.
The injured were first shifted to Banihal Hospital, from where they were referred to the government medical college, Anantnag.
“The injured pilgrims are stable. Two of them have suffered fractures. The vehicle carrying the pilgrims skidded off the road and overturned at Sherbibi. It was raining in the area and the road was slippery,” said a police official.
The pilgrims’ group was registered for July 3 (Sunday) for the pilgrimage but it skipped its scheduled date of travel and had come in advance, added the official.
The injured pilgrims have been identified as Kundan Kumar, 56, of Uttar Pradesh, Vinayak Gupta, 10, Gudiya, 39, wife of Tarlok Chand Gupta and Anita Gupta, 49, wife of Sanjay Gupta, all residents of Chattisgarh.
Ramban SSP, Mohita Sharma said, “the private vehicle was not part of the Amarnath convoy from Jammu. The pilgrims stayed overnight at Yatri Niwas in Ramban and this morning they were leaving the base camp when their vehicle turned turtle at Sherbibi area. It was raining in the morning. Four pilgrims suffered minor injuries and they were immediately treated upon. One of them suffered a shoulder dislocation. They have already left for their onward journey.”