Amarnath Yatra Halted From Jammu as Heavy Rain Forecast Raises Safety Concerns

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday amid inclement weather, a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall and a decline in the arrival of pilgrims, officials said.

No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Kashmir Valley on Saturday morning. Authorities said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure in view of the deteriorating weather conditions and the possibility of disruptions along the pilgrimage route.

The administration is closely monitoring the situation and will review the movement of pilgrims depending on the weather and the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.

According to an advisory issued by the local Meteorological Department, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the Jammu region over the coming days. The weather office has also warned of the possibility of flash floods and landslides until August 11, raising concerns over road safety and the movement of pilgrims.

The suspension comes despite traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway continuing to move smoothly on Saturday morning following light to moderate rainfall. Officials, however, said the situation would continue to be assessed based on changing weather and road conditions.

More than 4.75 lakh pilgrims have so far visited the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas since the annual pilgrimage began on July 3.

The 57-day Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. Authorities are expected to take a decision on resuming the pilgrimage from Jammu after assessing the weather forecast, highway conditions and the overall safety of pilgrims.