Only Pahalgam route operational currently.
Inclement weather, shooting stones and landslides have made the Baltal-Amarnath cave route in-operative prompting the authorities to facilitate the pilgrimage of registered yatris via the Pahalgam route.
“As the Baltal route has become inoperative due to falling stones/landslides, Camp Director Baltal was instructed to see that yatris who possess registration to travel on the Baltal route should be facilitated to undertake their pilgrimage via the Pahalgam route if they so wish”, said an official spokesman The Amarnath cave is accessible from two routes in Kashmir Valley. The 46-km Pahalgam–trek is an ancient route covered in five days. The new 14-kilometre Baltal-Holy cave route is now preferred by the pilgrims since journey can be completed in a day.
“In view of the incidences of shooting stones and slippery tracks the yatra remained suspended from the Baltal route. Meanwhile it has been proceeding smoothly from the Pahalgam route. However, helicopter service operated from both the routes”, said an official spokesman. Chief Executive Officer of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) Umang Narula said on the 9th day of ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra, 4821 yatris paid obeisance at Holy Cave. “Till date 73023 yatris had the darshan of the shivling at the Holy Cave”, he said
On the directions of Governor NN Vohra, who is the Chairman of SASB, rescue operations were launched early today to evacuate stranded yatris from Panjtarni to Baltal. “The virtually non-stop rainfall over the past several days has adversely affected the track conditions, particularly on the Baltal-Sangam-Holy Cave route. Besides landslides at several places the maximum disruption has been caused by shooting stones and the sinking of the track at certain locations”, the spokesman said. As directed by the Governor, sick pilgrims, as well as the aged and women yatris, were amongst the first to be airlifted when three Indian Air Force MI-17 Helicopters started operating sorties from Panjtarni to Baltal.
Canceling a pre-scheduled tour to Jammu, Governor Vohra visited Baltal, Panjtarni and Nunwan (Pahalgam) yatra Camps for afirst-handd assessment of the ground situation. Governor gave directions regarding the cut-off timings for the upward and downward movements on the Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal Track; urgent deployment of additional police personnel, MRTP rescue teams and SDRF teams at all the critical locations on the tracks to regulate the movement of yatris, particularly those who are unwell.
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 "Amarnath Yatra underway")
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