Amarnath Yatra suspended from Jammu, Read why
The annual Amarnath Yatra from Jammu City was halted on Saturday morning as torrential rains caused landslides and mudslides and washed away a stretch of road on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district.
Senior police on Amarnath Yatra:
“The Yatra was suspended on Saturday morning from the Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar here due to inclement weather,” stated a senior police officer.
“Due to heavy rains and prevailing weather conditions in Kashmir and on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway,” he continued, “no fresh batch was allowed today for the holy cave.”
Here’s what SSP Traffic says:
According to SSP Traffic, National Highway, Rohit Baskotra, vehicular traffic on the national highway (NH44) between Jammu and Kashmir has been suspended since the early hours of Saturday due to landslides, slush, and shooting stones in Mehad area, Seri, and near Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2 in Marog area of Ramban district. Baskotra went on to say that the road in Mehad was in poor condition due to landslides and slush.
He stated that traffic between Jammu and Srinagar has been halted at Nagrota, Jakheni Udhampur, and Quazigund.
“Some of the LMVs have been returned, while others are being held at Yatri Niwas and other lodging facilities in Chanderkot or community kitchens along the highway,” he added.
Landslides have also closed the Mughal Road and the Srinagar-Sonmarg Road.
“People are advised not to travel on NH-44, Mughal Road, or Sonmarg Road until the restoration work is completed,” the SSP stated.
Rains have washed away stretch of the road:
At Ramban, where rains swept away a length of the road near the tunnels, NHAI has begun work on a war footing to make the previous alignment of NH-44 at Panthyal motorable till the damaged portion of the road between tunnels T-5 and T-3 is reconstructed, he said.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Met Department predicts heavy rainfall with thunder and lightning across Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Rajouri district police issued an alert advising people not to approach bodies of water, particularly rivers, due to fears of flash floods caused by heavy rain. According to the alert, people should also refrain from grazing their animals near bodies of water until weather conditions improve.
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