Pahalgam: The annual Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Friday till August 3 to ensure the safety of pilgrims after heavy rains caused damage on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes, officials said.
While the yatra from the Pahalgam route remained suspended throughout Friday, pilgrim movement was initially allowed from the Baltal route but later halted due to adverse weather conditions.
No fresh batch of pilgrims was permitted to move towards the holy cave from either route.
The movement of yatris from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu also remained suspended for the second consecutive day.
“Due to the recent heavy rains, repair and maintenance work needs to be carried out on the Baltal route of Shri Amarnathji Yatra,” said Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri. “In the interest of the safety of passengers, no yatra will be allowed from the Baltal route on August 3.”
Bidhuri added that both Pahalgam and Baltal routes have witnessed significant rainfall recently, necessitating urgent repair works.
Since the yatra began on July 2, a total of 1,44,124 pilgrims have left from the Jammu base camp towards the Valley.
