The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended till August 4 after the India Meteorological Department predicted heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir over the next few days, a spokesperson of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said on Wednesday.
“In view of inclement weather conditions, shooting of stones and landslides particularly in Jammu region, the yatra will remain suspended till August 4, 2019,” PTI quoted the shrine board’s spokesperson as saying. The spokesperson said there could be landslides along the Jammu and Srinagar national highway, especially between Ramban and Banihal in Jammu division.
The stretch between Baltal and Pahalgam had become slippery due to heavy rain and the situation could possibly worsen, the spokesperson added. The India Meteorological Department predicted heavy rainfall for Jammu and Kashmir in the next two days.
The pilgrimage was halted on Sunday after the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed because of mudslides in the Ramban and Banihal route. In two separate incidents on Tuesday, an eight-year-old boy was killed and a teenage girl was injured after their houses collapsed in heavy rain in separate incidents in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir.
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