SRINAGAR: More than 4.22 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji by 1 pm on Monday, while the Baltal route continued to witness smooth movement for the second consecutive day, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg said.
Speaking to reporters, Garg said the annual pilgrimage was being regulated strictly under the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), with weather advisories issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the condition of the tracks reviewed before permitting the movement of pilgrims.
The Yatra had been temporarily suspended in recent days due to adverse weather conditions, following which repair work was required along the traditional Pahalgam axis. The restoration work is currently being undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), while the Baltal route remains open, he said.
Garg said teams from the district administration, health department, sanitation services, camp commanders, Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) and other agencies were maintaining continuous monitoring to ensure the safety and convenience of pilgrims.
He said the latest IMD advisory had forecast adverse weather, including heavy rainfall, from July 28 to July 31. Evening review meetings are being held with all stakeholders, including officials of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, and the decision on the following day’s pilgrimage is taken after assessing the weather forecast and track conditions, he added.
Repair work on the Pahalgam route is progressing, but its completion remains dependent on weather conditions. Further rainfall could slow the restoration process, particularly as the route is considerably longer than the Baltal track, Garg said.
He also said all stranded pilgrims at the Nunwan Base Camp had been cleared for the pilgrimage and that no pilgrims were currently awaiting movement there. Fresh pilgrims arriving from Jammu, including those who reached by train over the past two days, are being directed straight to the Baltal Base Camp to prevent inconvenience, he said.
Garg said the holding capacity of the Baltal Base Camp had earlier been increased to accommodate 40,000 to 45,000 pilgrims, while the current daily inflow stood at around 15,000 to 20,000.
The camp is therefore operating at nearly half its capacity and is presently adequately equipped to manage the pilgrim rush, he said, adding that additional arrangements would be made if required based on the number of pilgrims arriving in the coming days.
