Jammu: Keeping pilgrim safety as the top priority, authorities have temporarily suspended the Amarnath Yatra from July 19 following severe weather warnings. The administration has proactively halted the movement of devotees along both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes to prevent any untoward incidents in the tough terrain.
No pilgrim will be allowed to proceed beyond the base camps for the time being. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar officially stated that no fresh batch would be permitted to leave Jammu for the Kashmir Valley on July 19 due to the adverse weather advisory. He strongly advised devotees arriving from various parts of the country to remain stationed at their designated lodging centers across Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban. Pilgrims have been strictly instructed to wait at these camps until further clearance is officially issued by the administration.
Echoing similar safety concerns, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg explained that meteorological forecasts indicate a significant deterioration in weather conditions over the next few days. Garg assured the public that a decision to resume the holy pilgrimage would only be taken after the weather improves and a thorough safety review of the entire route is successfully completed. Notably, more than 3.7 lakh devotees have already offered their prayers at the holy cave shrine of Baba Barfani so far this year.
Amid the weather disruptions, an unfortunate incident occurred early morning in Udhampur. Five pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and a local driver sustained injuries in a road accident near the Jakhani area along the highway. The injured devotees, who hail from Lakhimpur and Sitapur districts, were immediately rushed to Government Medical College Udhampur for urgent medical treatment and care.
Following the accident, local authorities swiftly cleared the damaged vehicles from the national highway. Regular traffic movement has now been fully restored across the busy route. The administration continues to monitor the situation closely to ensure the absolute safety and welfare of all visiting devotees during this challenging period.