Heavy rain across TN, Chennai suburbs flood
Close on the heels of cyclone Fengal, which devastated northern Tamil Nadu, heavy rains under the influence of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal continues to lash the state and neighbouring Puducherry.
Movement of the Amarnath pilgrims towards the 3880 meters high cave shrine was halted temporarily on Saturday morning from both base camps in Kashmir due to heavy rain.
Officials said that the movement of pilgrims from north Kashmir’s Baltal base camp and from south Kashmir’s Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp has been temporarily halted due to heavy rain along the twin routes.
Advertisement
“The Yatra has been going on smoothly without any interruption since it started on 29 June,” they said.
Advertisement
The weather department has forecast generally cloudy weather on both the Yatra routes with the possibility of light rain and thundershowers during the day.
The convoy carrying pilgrims bound for the Pahalgam route that started from Jammu early morning was halted at Chanderkote in Ramban on the highway due to bad weather.
The pilgrims were served food by the District Administration of Ramban.
More than 1.50 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine in the last seven days as another batch of 5,871 devotees left for the Valley from Jammu on Saturday.
“A batch of 5,871 Yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu for the Valley today in two heavily escorted convoys. Of these, the first convoy of 2,112 pilgrims left at 2.50 a.m. in 110 vehicles for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp while another convoy of 134 vehicles carrying 3,759 pilgrims left at 3.50 a.m. for south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,” officials said.
The Baltal route is shorter as pilgrims have to cover a 14 km-long track to the cave shrine on foot or on ponies, while those using the traditional Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp have to cover 48 kms which takes atleast three days (one way).
Advertisement
