Authorities closed the Jammu-Srinagar national highway following heavy rains and landslides causing a fresh batch of over 3,000 Amarnath pilgrims to be left at the base camp in Banihal town of Jammu on Saturday while their convoy was stopped in Ramban.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway is the only all-weather road that links Kashmir with the rest of the country; landslides were reported from Mehar and Dalwas areas along the route.
According to a report by PTI, the authorities said that the 20th batch of 3,472 pilgrims who left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu in 132 vehicles in the early hours of Saturday was stopped at Chanderkote due to the closure of the highway.
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The officials informed the media that out of the 20th batch, 2,515 of the pilgrims are listed to undertake the yatra to the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas from Pahalgam in Anantnag district and 957 by the Baltal route in Ganderbal district, the officials said.
The annual Amarnath Yatra which includes visiting the shrine located at an altitude of 3,880 metres began on July 1 this year, has been participated by more than three lakh pilgrims so far.
The traffic department officials have started conducting road clearance operations for the affected areas to ensure early restoration of traffic on the highway, reportedly.
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Reportedly, the meteorological department has said that light to moderate rains and thunderstorms have been reported from many parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Further, they said that rainfall is likely to continue throughout Saturday with heavy spells in certain areas like Kathua district. On Sunday it is expected to rain at scattered places maintaining light and moderate intensity.
A Gujjar hamlet at Ghadkhal in the Akhnoor sector on the outskirts of Jammu was inundated due to rise in the water level of the Chenab river in the morning. According to officials, the current water level of the Chenab at Akhnoor is 29.6 feet against the flood alert level of 32 feet.
