Amarnath Yatra Suspended from Jammu Amid Inclement Weather

JAMMU, Aug 8: The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday amid inclement weather, a forecast of heavy rain over the coming days and a decline in pilgrim arrivals, officials said.

No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Kashmir Valley on Saturday morning, they said.

Officials said the administration is closely monitoring the weather conditions and will review the movement of pilgrims based on the situation and the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the key road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.

More than 4.75 lakh pilgrims have so far visited the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the Kashmir Himalayas since the annual pilgrimage began on July 3. The 57-day Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

According to an advisory issued by the Meteorological Department, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the Jammu region, with the possibility of flash floods and landslides till August 11.

Despite light to moderate rain early Saturday morning, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was moving smoothly, officials said. (Agencies)