Amarnath yatra suspended from Jammu

Owing to large number of devotees stranded at transit base camp at Baltal, Amarnath yatra has been on Wednesday suspended from Jammu base camp.

"No batch was allowed to Baltal base camp from here today. The yatra was suspended as there is a heavy rush of stranded devotees at Baltal," police officials at Jammu said adding over 15,000 pilgrims are stranded at the transit camp.

Over 2,700 pilgrims have been left waiting for resumption of the yatra at Jammu base camp in Bhagwati Nagar due to the suspension.

Jammu and Kashmir government and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has set up three base camps at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu, at Nunwan in Pahalgam and at Baltal for providing boarding and lodging facilities to pilgrims visiting cave shrine.

While, Jammu base camp facilitates boarding and lodging for over 20,000 pilgrims at a time, Baltal and Nunwan can house over 5,000 pilgrims at a time. Till now, nearly 70,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3888 mt Amarnath cave shrine till now.

Meanwhile, a high level assessment team headed by SASB Chief Executive Officer BB Viyas yesterday carried out an aerial survey of the traditional Pahalgam route to take a final decision on opening of the route, which has been covered with snow for last few days, to the pilgrims.

The team has submitted its report on resumption of yatra via traditional Pahalgam route to Governor NN Vohra.