Srinagar, July 17: The annual Amarnath Yatra has been temporarily suspended from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to continuous heavy rainfall over the past 36 hours in the Kashmir Valley, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bhiduri stated that the suspension was essential to ensure the safety of pilgrims and to facilitate urgent restoration work on the affected tracks. “The yatra has been suspended for July 17 from both base camps due to the persistent rainfall. BRO and Mountain Rescue Teams are working round the clock to restore the routes,” he said.
Despite the suspension, pilgrims who were stationed at the Panjtarni camp last night are being escorted down to Baltal under tight security and supervision.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has mobilized heavy machinery and personnel to clear landslides and repair the damaged tracks along both routes. Officials are hopeful that the pilgrimage will resume by Friday, depending on weather conditions.
A two-day weather advisory has been issued, warning of more heavy rains across parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including along the pilgrimage paths. On Wednesday, a woman pilgrim lost her life and three others were injured in a landslide on the Baltal route in Ganderbal district, raising serious safety concerns.
This marks the first suspension of the yatra from the Jammu base camp this year. Since the yatra began on July 3, around 2.47 lakh pilgrims have visited the 3,880-metre-high holy shrine. A total of 1,01,553 pilgrims have departed from Jammu since July 2, when the first batch was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Online registrations for the yatra have already crossed 4 lakh, while last year saw over 5.10 lakh devotees complete the pilgrimage to the naturally formed ice Shivling at the cave shrine. The 38-day yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 9.
Authorities have urged pilgrims and stakeholders to stay updated with official advisories and to prioritize safety amid unpredictable weather conditions.
