Flood Alert In Jammu And Kashmir, Amarnath Yatra Suspended

Jammu:

Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from Pahalgam route due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains and bad weather. This comes a day after the yatra was suspended from the Baltal route because of similar weather conditions. A flood alert has also been sounded after Jhelum river flowed above the critical 21-feet mark at Sangam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Friday. Schools in Kashmir division will also remain closed as a precautionary measure.

Jammu Police Control Room said, "Due to inclement weather and bad condition of the roads both in Baltal and Pahalgam routes, Amarnath Yatra will remain suspended today."

The third batch of pilgrims who began their yatra from Bhagwati Nagar base camp and undertook the journey via Pahalgam route was stopped at the Tikri base camp, reports news agency ANI.

Owing to bad weather conditions and flood alert, the yatra was stopped as a preventive measure. The pilgrims were housed in a big hall at Trikri base camp and were also served food.

Balwant Singh Mankotia, State President of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party said that around 500-700 devotees are stranded at Tikri camp. Food has been arranged for them. "We have also discussed all the problems that they are facing," he added.

The officials said that due to slippery trek routes and bad weather, no yatri was allowed to move towards the cave shrine from either base camp. The situation will be reviewed once the weather improves, they added.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said the people living in low-lying areas and embankments of river Jhelum in Srinagar were requested to be alert and prepared for evacuation.

"We have issued a flood alert for low-lying areas of Srinagar," he added.

The officials have also issued an alert as the Darhali River in Rajouri overflowed on Friday due to heavy rainfall.

While the water level at Sangam at 10 am this morning was 23.06 feet - still above the critical mark - the water has started receding there. At 9 am the water level there was 23.16 feet.

Sonam Lotus, Director of the MET department, said the weather is likely to improve towards the afternoon.

On Friday, landslide at Gangroo near Ramsu along the 260-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway - the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with rest of the country, left hundreds of vehicles, including the convoy carrying Amarnath pilgrims, stranded.

Over two lakh pilgrims have registered for the annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas. Last year, over 2.6 lakh people registered for the annual pilgrimage.

The rising water levels induced fear among the valley residents of a re-run of 2014 floods that caused widespread devastation and left over 300 persons dead.