The Indian Army overnight repaired two bridges on the Baltal Axis near Brarimarg that was damaged by landslide, in order to resume the Amarnath Yatra via the Baltal Axis route, the Chinar Corps bridges.
Several districts of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed landslides and mudslides, triggered by incessant rains. These landslides, mostly in Ramban and Udhampur districts, left over 3,000 vehicles, mostly trucks, stranded.
Cop rescue teams assisted pilgrims
Cop rescue teams were also seen on July 2 assisting pilgrims on route to Amarnath cave, which is located in the Himalayas at an elevation of 3,888 metres and is about 141 kilometres from Srinagar. The rescue teams were assisting pilgrims in crossing a bridge that had become impassable due to the heavy flow of water at Brari Marg and Y junction.
The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on June 30 after a two-year hiatus due to Covid, with the first batch of approximately 2,750 pilgrims departing for the cave shrine amid tight security. Deputy Commissioner Piyush Singla launched the pilgrimage at the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam, Anantnag district. The journey takes about three days, mostly on foot or by pony, with night stops at Sheeshnag and Panchtarni along the way.
Earlier, on July 1, the security arrangements for the Amarnath pilgrims were reviewed as senior officers travelling along with the convoy and personally monitored their movement.
Pilgrims barred from crossing into Kashmir after 3.30 p.m
Due to security concerns, pilgrims and tourists have been barred from crossing into Kashmir from the Banihal area of Ramban district after 3.30 p.m. The measure is in response to unregistered Amarnath pilgrims passing through the Valley disguised as tourists, causing security issues in light of heightened security threats. Meanwhile, after four days of closure due to landslides, two-way traffic on the 270-kilometer-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway, Kashmir’s only all-weather surface link, reopened on July 2.
The highway had been closed for four days in a row since June 28 due to heavy rains and snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir. Landslides and mudslides blocked the highway in nearly three dozen places.
All stranded vehicles were cleared during the night hours, paving the way for resumption of normal traffic movement, with road clearance work in progress at many places. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also undertaking repair work of the steel tunnel at Panthiyal which was damaged by shooting stones from the hillock overlooking the highway.
