look news india
A big news has come out for lakhs of devotees from across the country coming to visit the famous religious place Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine located in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. In view of the severe threat of torrential rains and landslides in Trikuta Hills and Katra region for the last 48 hours, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and the local administration have temporarily suspended the Yatra. Thousands of devotees have been stopped around the main entrance of Katra, Banganga, Tarakot Road and Katra Railway Station. From a reporter’s perspective, taking a lesson from the tragic landslide accident that occurred in August last year, the administration has taken this strict decision keeping the safety of the passengers paramount.
Alert on Banganga and Bhawan Marg, devotees returning
Due to rain, the flow of water in the natural drains (Banganga and Charan Paduka areas) coming from Trikuta hills has become extremely fast:
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Stones falling from the mountains: Due to continuous rains, there have been incidents of small and big shooting stones falling from the upper hills on both the new and old walking routes, due to which the security forces have stopped the devotees midway at safe places (Bhawan, Sanjichhat, Ardhkunwari).
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Bhairav Valley and cable car service closed: Due to bad weather and low visibility, the chopper (helicopter) service running between Katra and Bhawan and the Sanjichhat-Bhairav Valley cable car operation has been completely stopped.
IMD’s heavy rain alert: Shrine Board’s appeal
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy to extremely heavy rains, thunderstorms and flash floods in many districts of Jammu and Kashmir for the next few days:
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Shrine Board advises: The official spokesperson of the Shrine Board has appealed to the devotees coming to Katra from across the country to postpone their journey until the weather improves and the route is declared safe or they must check the official bulletin before reaching Katra.
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Helpline and loudspeaker announcements: Devotees are being continuously informed about the weather conditions through loudspeakers at Katra Base Camp and Banganga Checking Point.
Amarnath and Shiv Khodi Yatra also affected
Due to the severe form of monsoon in Jammu and Kashmir, not only Vaishno Devi but also Amarnath Yatra (both Pahalgam and Baltal routes) and located at Reasi Shiv Khori Dham (Shiv Khori) The journey has also been temporarily stopped due to security reasons.
The administration says that as soon as the rain stops and the cleaning and repair work of the tracks is completed, the yatra for the darshan of Mata Rani will be resumed only after a security review.