FLOOD DECLARED IN KASHMIR, AMARNATH YATRA SUSPENDED
Authorities say pilgrimage to resume today if weather permits
With streams and rivers overflowing due to incessant rains in the past two days, flood was declared in south Kashmir on Friday. Authorities have also suspended the Amarnath Yatra.
People living in low-lying areas of south Kashmir, especially along the embankments of the Jhelum and other streams are advised to remain vigilant, said an official.
Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Friday morning due to rains and slippery tracks, officials said. The pilgrims were not allowed to move towards the cave shrine in southern Himalayas from Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The yatra was suspended for the day from shorter route of Baltal, second time since it started on Thursday, after heavy rain damaged the tracks, Ganderbal DC Piyush Singla said.
Some pilgrims had to return halfway due to bad weather after officials gave them a go ahead for the yatra amid rains in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
District administration officials said they allowed the pilgrims to move towards the cave shrine from Pahalgam base camp despite rains.
“But some of them returned from Chandanwari, some 15km from Pahalgam,” said Anantnag deputy commissioner Mohammad Younis.
He said 1,433 pilgrims reached Sheshnag. An official manning the yatra helpline said 1,735 pilgrims were allowed to move from Pahalgam towards the cave shrine. “Those who crossed Chandanwari have reached Sheshnag and will be staying there at night,” Younis said.
SRINAGAR:Hundreds of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims had to return halfway due to bad weather on Friday, hours after they started the pilgrimage amidst heavy rain from Pahalgam in central Kashmir’s Anantnag. However, the yatra was suspended from the Baltal base camp.
“The pilgrims were asked to move in groups, but some of them returned from Chandenwari, some 15km from Pahalgam. The weather was bad and they were not able to cross Chandenwari within the stipulated time,” Anantnag deputy commissioner (DC) Mohammad Younis said, adding that 1,433 pilgrims were able to reach Sheshnag but did not say how many returned.
However, an official, manning the helpline of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, said as many as 1,735 pilgrims had started from Pahalgam towards the cave shrine, a 42km trek.
“Those who crossed Chandenwari have reached Sheshnag and will be staying there at night, where they will be provided all the facilities like food, water and shelter,” Younis said.
Meanwhile, the yatra was suspended from the shorter route of Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, second time since Thursday as heavy rains damaged tracks, officials said.
“The rain were quite heavy though not incessant. We have restored the track but I don’t see any possibility of yatra starting today (Friday) now. The weather situation will again dictate things tomorrow,” said Ganderbal DC Piyush Singla.
He said the pilgrims who have converged at the base camp have been well placed and there are no issues of water, food, medicines or lodging.
The pilgrimage, which was scheduled to start early on Thursday from Baltal and Pahalgam, was stopped due to rains since Wednesday after it made the treacherous mountain tracks slippery.
Except for a handful of people, the pilgrims were not allowed to trek the path from Pahalgam because of rain on Thursday.
Hundreds of them were allowed to move ahead on the treacherous trek from Baltal on Thursday afternoon.