Amit Shah speaks to J-K Lieutenant Governor, takes update on Amarnath Yatra

New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and took updates about Amarnath Yatra which was suspended due to heavy rains.

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 other route, Baltal, 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.
Overnight showers on Thursday led to landslides, mudslides and shooting stones at Panthyal, Mehar and other places in the Ramban district, blocking the national highway. Train movement from Qazigund to Banihal was also suspended following waterlogging at Hiller Anantnag railway station.

The sacred pilgrimage situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas began on July 1. The 62-day pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave, which is an abode of Lord Shiva, will culminate on August 31.

Through a tweet earlier on Sunday, the Home Minister applauded the work of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel for providing a safer Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim.

“The NDRF and the SDRF have always stood tall in service to the nation and humanity despite all odds. Their role has been crucial in fulfilling our goal of providing a safer Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim. Sharing a photograph of an SDRF Jawan carrying a lady yatri on his back for 3 km through the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas on her way back from the holy shrine. I applaud them for being the beacon of safety for the citizens,” Shah tweeted. (ANI)