83 Karnataka pilgrims stranded on Amarnath yatra route safe: Minister

According to officials at the Karnataka state disaster management authority (KSDMA), as per preliminary information, over 1,000 people are stranded and taking shelter at the Panchtarni Military Base Camp in Amarnath. Of these, around 83 are from Karnataka, including 23 from Gadag district.

Karnataka minister HK Patil said on Sunday that all the 83 people from the state who went on a pilgrimage to Amarnath and were said to be stranded due to heavy rainfall and landslides are safe.

Karnataka minister HK Patil said all the 83 people from the state who went on a pilgrimage to Amarnath and were said to be stranded (PTI)

According to officials at the Karnataka state disaster management authority (KSDMA), as per preliminary information, over 1,000 people are stranded and taking shelter at the Panchtarni Military Base Camp in Amarnath. Of these, around 83 are from Karnataka, including 23 from Gadag district.

“Among the pilgrims of the state, 23 people are from Gadag. I spoke to those who knew me over the phone. It was very cold till last night. It was 3 degrees Celsius. I was relieved that blankets and other arrangements had been made for the pilgrims,” Patil, minister for law, parliamentary affairs, legislation, and tourism, said on Sunday.

The Amarnath Yatra began on July 1 and is expected to culminate on August 31. The 62-day pilgrimage is dedicated to the devotees of Baba Amarnath, a form of Lord Shiva. According to officials, the 62-day annual pilgrimage remained halted following incessant rains in most parts of Kashmir.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday directed the authorities to provide all necessary assistance for the safe return of the pilgrims from the state.

Patil said that on the directions of the chief minister, a team of senior officers, led by Authority Commissioner P Sunil Kumar, has been formed and sent to Kashmir to assess the situation.

“If the weather improves, we will work to bring them back to our state by this evening or tomorrow. Officials of the revenue and tourism department and Karnataka Bhavan are in touch with them. I have spoken to the chief minister about the matter. The chief minister has formed a team of senior officers, and they have already been sent to Kashmir.”

The pilgrims are being assisted during their entire journey by state agencies and civil departments by making all the essential facilities available to the devotees, according to an official spokesperson.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi also stated on Sunday that all the 83 Kannadigas who were stranded due to bad weather, were safe.

“I spoke to the Lt. Governor. CM Siddaramaiah has said that all arrangements will be made to protect them. We will do our best to protect all Kannadigas, including the BJP workers who have gone there,” Joshi said.

On Sunday, Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and took updates about Amarnath Yatra.

Shah spoke to Sinha in a telephonic conversation earlier in the day as the annual Amarnath Yatra remained suspended temporarily on both routes -- Baltal (Ganderbal district) and Nunwan (Pahalgam district) -- due to inclement weather conditions that triggered multiple landslides along the 270km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district two days ago.

The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on Sunday afternoon on the Pahalgam route following an improvement in weather conditions, officials said, adding that the Yatra on the Baltal route is yet to resume.

Authorities, on Sunday, however, stopped a batch of devotees at the Jammu Base camp due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Following the suspension of the Yatra, 6,000 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were stranded at Ramban, officials said.