6000 perform darshan, 4000 leave from Jammu
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 11: After remaining suspended for two days due to the flash floods of Friday near holy cave resulting into death of 16 pilgrims, and missing of 40 others, Shri Amarnath Yatra was resumed this morning.
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According to official sources, 6057 pilgrims who were stranded at Panchtarni the last camp on way to holy cave via Chandanwari track were allowed to leave for darshan of naturally formed Ice Lingam as Army, BSF, CRPF and Shrine Board officials constructed the alternative 50 feet track near holy cave which was damaged by flash floods on Friday.
Sources said the gate at Chandanwari was closed at 1-45 pm as it started drizzling again. However, the pilgrims camping at Panchtarni were till that time allowed to leave for darshan. In addition to them, some more pilgrims who reported at Panchtarni from Sheshnag up to 1 pm were allowed to cross the gate while others where stopped at Panchtarni.
Sources said that no yatra remained suspended for third consecutive day from shortest 14 kilometer Baltal track which is damaged at three places including Rail Pathri,Brari Marg and Kali Mata. This is the vulnerable area where shooting stones often take place and to avert any mishap in this reach of the track the yatra was suspended from Baltal track today as well.
However, the chopper service from Baltal to holy cave area as well as Panchtarni and Neelgrath also continued during the day.
As the work on restoration of the track in this area is also in the full swing, the authorities are hopeful of resuming the yatra from Baltal track by tomorrow morning. Sources said 14,129 pilgrims were stranded at Baltal base camp today while 8779 pilgrims were at Sheshnag camp.
Sources said 10580 pilgrims left Chandanwari camp towards onwards sojourn today. Sources said there is huge rush of pilgrims at Baltal and Nunwan base camps. However pilgrims were all praise for the Army, security forces, Langar people and local service providers for their help and assistance.
As per reports, additional 34 injured pilgrims were evacuated by IAF Mi 17 -V5 and Cheetal helicopters today. IAF helicopters also airlifted 20 NDRF personnel along with six canines to search for persons stuck under debris.
The Indian Army on Sunday inducted radars to trace survivors under the debris which was laid after the cloudburst stuck the area near the holy shrine of Amarnathji on Friday.
Army official said “Xzver 4000 radar has been inducted and has been operational at Amarnath since late afternoon for finding any survivors under the debris.”
The yatris, who were camping at Chanderkot Yatri Niwas, in Ramban district as well as Walnut Factory, Qazigund and FCI buildings at Mirbazar in Kulgam district of Kashmir valley were also allowed to leave for further sojourn this morning. These pilgrims reached Nunwan late in the evening where from they will leave for onwards journey tomorrow morning provided the weather was clear.
One pilgrim also died at Panjtarni late this evening due to cardiac arrest with this, the death toll in the yatra has mounted to 11 barring 16 people who were killed in flash floods. However, his identity was yet to be ascertained.
The Amarnath Yatra was also resumed from Jammu, today after remaining suspended for a day due to inclement weather as another batch of over 4,000 pilgrims left for the base camps of the 3,880-metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The Yatra was suspended from Jammu due to bad weather conditions and no batch was allowed to proceed to the base camps in the Valley on Sunday.
“A total of 4,026 pilgrims left in the 12th batch from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 110 vehicles amid heavy security of CRPF,” officials said.
Of these, 3,192 are males, 641 females, 13 children, 174 ‘Sadhus’ and six ‘Sadhvis’, they said.
According to officials, 1,016 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp in 35 vehicles at around 3.30 am followed by the second convoy of 75 vehicles carrying 2,425 pilgrims for Pahalgam.
A fresh batch of pilgrims was also allowed from Nunwan base camp on Pahalgam route this morning, officials said, adding that the pilgrims are scheduled to reach the holy cave Tuesday morning.
The annual 43-day yatra commenced from the twin base camps — traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on June 30.
So far, over 1.18 lakh pilgrims have offered their prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam, they said.
With this, a total of 69,561 pilgrims have left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.
Meanwhile, there is a huge rush of pilgrims in Jammu as thousands of yatris still continue to report in the winter capital daily. The pilgrims are seen in long queues in front of registration counters from early morning waiting for their turn. Some of the pilgrims even complain lack of facilities at registration counters at Jammu.
Ram Kumar, heading a group of 30 pilgrims from Faizabad UP said that though tall claims are made about the facilities there are neither tenting nor drinking water facilities outside registration counters where the pilgrims have to stand in long queues for hours together under the scorching heat or rain.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government has clarified the report carried by some sections of media that ’37 pilgrims from the State are missing in Amarnath pilgrimage. A report which was originally carried out by PTI, is factually incorrect.
In this regard, Andhra Pradesh Government has clearly refuted such media report through a letter addressed to Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir.
The letter read, “In continuation of letter number Lr. No. 06/ARC-APB/2022 dated 11.07.2022, some media groups reported that 37 members are missing from Andhra Pradesh in Amarnath, in this regard, I would like to clarify about the two sub groups data as per the latest information received”.
A letter written by RC AP Government said “Two persons are reportedly missing namely Gunisetty Sudha and Kotha Parvathi belonging to Rajahmundry. We are in touch with Jammu and Kashmir Administration to get more information”.
“The remaining 35 persons for whom we received calls from their relatives on Andhra Pradesh Helpline numbers, all 35 have been traced and are safely returning to Andhra Pradesh,” the letter said.
“Relief and rescue operations by local administration in Jammu and Kashmir are underway for the missing persons. We highly appreciate the support and help provided by local administration” the letter further added.
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