Heavy Rain Disrupts Amarnath Yatra, Pilgrim Movement Suspended from Jammu

The Amarnath Yatra was temporarily suspended from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Saturday after relentless rainfall hampered restoration work on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), preventing fresh batches of pilgrims from proceeding to the Kashmir Valley.

Officials said no new convoy of devotees was allowed to leave the Jammu base camp as the 250-km strategic highway, the Valley's only all-weather road link with the rest of the country, remained closed for the second consecutive day. Restoration efforts on the Ladha-Samroli stretch in Udhampur district have been slowed by continuous rainfall, making the road muddy, slushy and unsafe for traffic.

The highway had been closed in both directions on Friday shortly after the safe passage of the scheduled Amarnath Yatra convoy. Authorities had initiated repair work following damage caused by last week's rains, but fresh spells of precipitation across Udhampur and Ramban districts further complicated restoration efforts.

The suspension comes as authorities prioritise the safety of pilgrims while road engineers work to restore normal traffic movement on the vital national highway. Officials are closely monitoring weather conditions before allowing fresh pilgrim convoys to resume their journey.

In a parallel administrative move, the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) has shifted its offline registration, token distribution, e-KYC verification and RFID issuance counters from the Tawi Riverfront to the Bhagwati Nagar base camp. The decision follows a noticeable decline in the daily arrival of pilgrims in Jammu as the annual pilgrimage enters its final phase.

The Tawi Riverfront had served as a centralised registration facility since the beginning of the pilgrimage. With pilgrim numbers gradually tapering, authorities have consolidated all registration-related services at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp to streamline operations.

The Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on July 3, has witnessed an overwhelming spiritual turnout this year, with around 4.5 lakh devotees having offered prayers at the holy cave shrine, home to the naturally formed ice Shivling in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

Subject to improved weather conditions and the reopening of NH-44, officials expect the pilgrimage to resume shortly. The annual yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.