Second batch of 3,434 yatris leaves from Jammu

JAMMU: The second batch of 3,434 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar based Yatri Niwas base camp on Thursday for their onward journey to the cave shrine of Amaranth in south Kashmir amid tight security arrangements.

As per the police sources, the second batch of pilgrims, including 2,679 males, 592 females, 158 priests, two children and two transgenders, left for Srinagar from Jammu at 4am in a convoy of 114 vehicles, including 65 buses and 49 light motor vehicles.

In last couple of days, as many as 6,429 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district leading to the cave shrine.

At around 8.30am, the convoy had a brief halt near Nashri tunnel, around 120-km from Jammu, due to a landslide at Digdol near Ramban. However, at around 10am and they resumed their journey after the highway was cleared of debris. The yatra commenced from both the Pahalgam and Baltal route in the noon.

Meanwhile, the police,have issued traffic advisory indicating detailed cut-off timing at various places enroute the holy cave on both the routes.

MOS PMO REVIEWS ARRANGEMENTS

Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), on Thursday reviewed the yatra arrangements at Lakhanpur base camp.

Singh assured the pilgrims that government has put in every effort to make the yatra convenient and safe. HTC