Yatra suspended due to heavy rains, NH closed

Incessant rainfall at several places in the state on Sunday forced authorities to suspend the pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas and also led to <g data-gr-id="27">closure</g> of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

"Heavy rainfall has been going on at several places along the <g data-gr-id="21">Jammu Srinagar</g> national highway, thus badly hampering the road opening operations by the Border Road organisation (BRO). The Amarnath Yatra was also temporarily suspended and no Yatri vehicle was allowed to move forward," SSP Traffic (NH) Sanjay Kotwal told media.

He said that <g data-gr-id="17">machinery</g> of the BRO has been kept on standby and as soon as the rain stops they would start working to reopen the Highway.

"We are waiting for the rains to stop as soon as it stops the men and machinery would resume the road opening operation," Kotwal said. He said that following the closure of the highway no Amarnath bound vehicle was allowed to move on the highway. 

The official further said that no vehicle would be allowed to ply on the highway till it is fully restored for the traffic. "There have been landslides at several places and the rainfall is adding to the problem, no vehicle will be allowed from either side until the highway is fully restored," he said.