Amarnath Yatra suspended due to bad weather, unfit condition of J-K highway

No fresh batch was allowed to proceed from Jammu to the base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas

Jammu: The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Friday, July 22, due to inclement weather and bad condition on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said, a report in The Tribune,  Chandigarh, says.

No fresh batch was allowed to proceed from here to the base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, they said.

The highway was reopened for one-way traffic on Thursday night after its closure due to landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rain at several places in Ramban district, officials said.

Earlier, the Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu due to bad weather on July 10 and resumed on July 11.

Authorities might allow the yatra from Jammu late in the afternoon in case the highway became fully operational and fit for vehicular traffic, officials said.

1000 vehicles stuck in Ramban as landslides block highway

Incessant rains during the night intervening Wednesday and Thursday triggered landslides and shooting stones, blocking the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Ramban district. 

At least 1,000 vehicles were stranded. Among them was a convoy of over 4,500 Amarnath pilgrims that had started journey from Jammu to Baltal and Nunwan base camps in Kashmir. 

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Shooting stones continued throughout the day at Panthyal on the highway that did not allow the traffic to move towards Kashmir. A major mudslide took place at another location at Mehar.

Ramban SSP Mohita Sharma said one-way traffic was restored in Ramban and work was on to clear the debris for two-way traffic.

Stones rolling downhill near Panthyal has become a major problem for the administration. Despite a steel bridge constructed by the National Highways Authority of India, the area becomes dangerous for traffic during rain. 

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