Amarnath Yatra from Jammu suspended due to inclement weather
Heavy rains trigger landslides, mudslides on Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban; no fresh batch of Amarnath yatris was allowed for the holy cave
The annual Amarnath pilgrimage was suspended from Jammu City on Saturday morning following heavy rains that triggered landslides, mudslides and washed away a stretch of road on Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district.
“The Yatra was suspended from Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar here on Saturday morning due to inclement weather,” said a senior police officer.
“No fresh batch was allowed today for the holy cave due to heavy rains and prevailing weather conditions in Kashmir and on Jammu-Srinagar national highway,” he added.
The vehicular traffic between Jammu and Kashmir on the national highway ( NH44) was suspended since wee hours on Saturday due to the landslides, slush and shooting stones at Mehad area, Seri and near Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2 in Marog area of Ramban district, said SSP Traffic, National Highway, Rohit Baskotra. Baskotra further said that the condition of the road was bad in Mehad due to landslide and slush.
He said that the Jammu and Srinagar bound traffic has been stopped at Nagrota, Jakheni Udhampur and Quazigund.
“Some of the LMVs have been sent back while others are kept in Yatri Niwas and other lodgement centres in Chanderkot or in community kitchens enroute the highway,” he added.
Mughal Road and Srinagar- Sonmarg road are also blocked due to landslides.
“People are advised not to travel on NH-44, Mughal road and Sonmarg road till restoration work is completed,” said the SSP.
At Ramban, where the rains have washed away stretch of the road near the tunnels, NHAI has started work on war footing to make old alignment of NH-44 at Panthyal motorable till the damaged portion of road between tunnels T-5 andT-3 is restored, he informed.
The Met department has forecast heavy rains with thunder and lightning across Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Rajouri district police issued an advisory, requesting people to not move close to water bodies, especially rivers, in view of apprehensions of flashfloods amid rainfall. People should also refrain from grazing their cattle near water bodies till there is improvement in weather conditions, the advisory read.