Fresh Landslides, Cloudburst Halt Amarnath Yatra Movement via Jammu-Srinagar Highway

JAMMU — Authorities halted the dispatch of fresh batches of Amarnath pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Saturday after heavy rainfall and landslides triggered the closure of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44).

The key arterial route connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country has remained blocked since Friday morning due to ongoing restoration work across critical stretches, including Samroli in Udhampur district and regions between Ramsoo and Banihal in Ramban.

Efforts by highway authorities to clear debris and reopen traffic hit a major setback on Saturday morning when fresh rain-induced landslides struck Dewal, near Samroli, extending the blockade.

Pilgrimage Continues from Valley Base Camps

While transit from Jammu remains paused, operations on the ground in northern Kashmir continue. Officials confirmed that a batch of 8,371 pilgrims departed from the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district early Saturday morning, making their way toward the holy cave shrine. Additionally, approximately 671 devotees paid their obeisance at the cave shrine by Saturday morning.

Cloudburst and Flash Floods Hit Chenab Valley

Torrential rains over the past 24 hours have severely disrupted normal life across the Chenab Valley region. Around 2:30 AM on Saturday, a cloudburst struck the Chatroo area in Kishtwar district, unleashing sudden flash floods that swept away several parked vehicles. The deluge also forced the closure of the Kishtwar-Anantnag highway via Sinthan Top.

In response to the deteriorating weather conditions and flood alerts, district administrations across Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar ordered the closure of all educational institutions as a precaution.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for widespread, heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir over the next few days, keeping disaster management teams and local authorities on high alert. Travelers and pilgrims have been strongly advised to verify traffic advisories before embarking on journeys along highway routes.