One-way traffic resumes on Kashmir highway, Yatris on way to Kashmir

Srinagar, July 2 (UNI) The first batch of 2356 Amarnath pilgrims, who were stranded on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, were allowed to proceed towards base camps this afternoon after the road was partially reopened for traffic.

''All the vehicles carrying pilgrims, who had left Jammu this morning, are heading towards Nunwan Pahalgam and Baltal base camps after the landslides were cleared by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway,'' a traffic police official told UNI.

Traffic on the highway was suspended today after the highway was closed due to landslides and shooting stones, triggered by heavy rains between Ramban and Ramsu.

''We have allowed only one-way traffic to allow the vehicle of pilgrims to cross the landslide prone area,'' the official added.

According to officials, 73 vehicle carrying 2356 pilgrims, including women, children and saints, had left Jammu this morning for Nunwan Pahalgam and Baltal base camps.

This was the first official batch of Amarnath yatris after the pilgrimage, scheduled to start from June 30, was delayed by two days due to heavy rains on both traditional Nunwan and shortest Baltal route for two consecutive days, making the track slippery and dangerous.

Traffic official said the yatri vehicles remained stranded for several hours on other side of the Penthal, the most troubled spot on the highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.

Earlier, a Police Control Room (PCR) report said here that a road strip of about two km had been affected due to landslides and shooting stones.

Besides yatris, about 5000 vehicles carrying passengers, essential commodities from Jammu and fruits and vegetables from Kashmir are stranded on either sides of the highway.

The entire Srinagar-Jammu highway had experienced heavy rains for the past 24 hours, triggering landslides and dislodged stones rolling down.

The highway had remained closed for about a month in February-March this year after a mountain near Penthal was sinking.

UNI