Jammu-Srinagar highway partially restored

A fresh batch of 174 pilgrims left Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu city for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Friday morning.

The 270-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway was partially restored on Friday afternoon after being closed for some time earlier in the day due to fresh landslides and shooting stones at Ramban, officials said.

Police said they were allowing vehicles with caution to pass the stretch at Panthiyal though intermittently, there were incidents of shooting stones. (ANI File Photo/Representative Image)

Consequently, 174 Amarnath Yatris, who were held up at Chanderkote in Ramban district this morning, proceeded for Baltal and Pahalgam routes, they added.

“Jammu-Srinagar highway has been partially restored and stranded vehicles are being cleared. Though shooting stones are intermittently on at Panthiyal, we are allowing vehicles with caution to pass the stretch,” said a police officer.

However, people are advised not to travel on the highway without confirmation from traffic control units at Jammu, Srinagar and Ramban.

The national highway, the only all-weather surface link that connects Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked due to fresh landslides and shooting stones triggered by rains.

A fresh batch of 174 pilgrims left Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu city for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Friday morning.

“A total of 174 yatris left in eight vehicles from Jammu at 4.30 am. Sixty two pilgrims have preferred Baltal route while 112 have opted for Pahalgam trek,” said a duty officer at the Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu.

The annual 43-day Amarnath Yatra commenced from twin base camps — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal — on June 30.