Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway restored; fresh batch of pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine

A fresh batch of 999 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir early Thursday as traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was restored after a day-long closure, officials said.

The 270-km-long highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, remained closed for more than 18 hours following a massive landslide near Maroog in Ramban district around 3 am on Wednesday, they added.

The officials said the restoration work was hampered several times during the day by frequent shooting stones from the hillock overlooking the highway which was, however, partially opened late in the evening for stranded vehicles.

A traffic department official said fresh traffic was allowed from both Jammu and Srinagar this morning after clearance of all stranded vehicles.

The officials further said that with the opening of the highway, authorities allowed the 37th batch of Amarnath pilgrims to set out from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Valley in a convoy of 33 vehicles around 3.30 am.

They added that 422 devotees are on the way towards the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district, while 577 pilgrims are heading for the Pahalgam base camp to undertake the yatra from the traditional route in Anantnag district.

Over 4.28 lakh pilgrims have so far paid their obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine since the commencement of the 62-day yatra on July 1.