Srinagar/Jammu: The annual Amarnath Yatra was Friday suspended till August 3 in the interest of safety of pilgrims as “urgent repair and maintenance works” are being undertaken on the twin routes of the pilgrimage following heavy rains, officials said.
On Friday morning, while the pilgrimage remained suspended from the Pahalgam route and no fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to proceed to the cave shrine, the yatra was allowed from the Baltal route, they said.
However, owing to heavy rains, the yatra was later suspended from the Baltal route as well, they said.
The movement of the pilgrims remained suspended from the Bagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the second consecutive day.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Mr. Bhiduri said there have been recent heavy rains in yatra area on both Pahalgam and Baltal axis, and so, maintenance works of urgent nature are required to be carried out on the Baltal Axis following this heavy rainfall.
Torrential rains in Kashmir had rendered the roads unsafe, following which the pilgrimage was suspended on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes on Wednesday.
The requisite repair and maintenance works are already being carried out on Pahalgam route of the Yatra, the divisional commissioner added.
On July 17, the yatra was suspended due to heavy rains at the twin base camps in Kashmir.
So far this year, more than 4.05 lakh yatris have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave shrine, he said.
