Srinagar/Jammu, Jul 30: Authorities suspended the Amarnath Yatra on Wednesday from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to continuous heavy rainfall across Kashmir, impacting pilgrim movement from the twin base camps. The suspension will extend to Thursday, halting departures from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp.
According to an official statement from the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Jammu and Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri confirmed that tracks leading from the Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal camps were deemed unsafe following intense early morning showers. As a result, no pilgrim movement was permitted from these locations.
The inclement weather also prompted Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar to announce the suspension of convoy movement from Bhagwati Nagar towards the Kashmir base camps on July 31 as a precautionary measure. “Due to heavy rains in the yatra area, no convoy shall move towards Baltal and Nunwan,” he reiterated.
Despite adverse conditions, over 3.86 lakh pilgrims have so far visited the 3,880-meter-high holy cave of Lord Shiva since the 38-day-long Amarnath Yatra began on July 3. On Tuesday alone, 7,203 pilgrims performed darshan at the cave shrine, with the total expected to cross the 4-lakh mark imminently.
Earlier on Wednesday, over 1,300 pilgrims left Jammu before the suspension was declared, heading towards the twin routes in south Kashmir Himalayas. The 28th batch included men, women, children, and sadhus, escorted by Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel.
Two convoys departed in close succession: the first towards the 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district and the second via the 48-kilometer traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district. Since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch, more than 1.44 lakh pilgrims have departed from Jammu for the valley.
Security arrangements have remained stringent, with convoys escorted through sensitive stretches. The ongoing yatra, scheduled to conclude on August 9 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan, has seen steady turnout despite intermittent disruptions due to weather conditions.
