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| Amarnath pilgrimage: Security grid strengthened; but weather gods may play foul | | |
Srinagar,June 28
Though the security grid right from Jammu, to Pahalgam,the base camp,has been strengthened authorities keep their fingers crossed as weather gods seem to be playing foul during the last 12 hours as 36 hours were left for the first batch of the pilgrims to leave Jammu for the mountain cave,considered to be the abode of lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.
After suspension of the pilgrim traffic on Baltal-cave route owing to heavy rain and damage to a stretch of the mountain route for a day pilgrims were allowed to move to the holy shrine on Wednesday.However,the entire Baltal route today witnessed torrential rain forcing the security forces to prevent pilgrims from moving towards the cave area.
A senior police officer said today “the deployment of police paramilitary forces has been completed and we are waiting for the first batch of pilgrims to reach Pahalgam.”Asked whether the mountain track between Pahalgam and the cave has been cleared of snow he said that “the route has been cleared of snow and wherever it had cave in owing to heavy winter snow it has been repaired.” He,however,stated that during the last three days weather has been foul and it continued to rain intermittently in Pahalga.He said besides heavy rain in Baltal belt the summer capital also experienced showers this afternoon.
He said if the weather condition did not improve in Pahalgam area and the route leading to the cave pilgrims may not be allowed to trek this mountain route.He said the same yardstick was to be applied on the Baltal route.He added “in case of light showers pilgrims would be allowed to visit the cave from Baltal area because one finishes the yatra in a day whereas it takes more than four days.”
In reply to a question the police officer said that several companies of troops have been deployed in and around the cave area and on Baltal-cave route.He said that deployment of police and paramilitary forces between Jammu and Pahalgam has been completed with troops having set up their pickets in sensitive areas between Udhampur and Banihal tunnel and between Qazigund and Pahalgam.
He confirmed that several hundred pilgrims,most of them were families of security personnel,had offered prayers in the cave while visiting it from Baltal route.He said even when the pilgrimage is official opened on June 30 there would be no ban on pilgrims from visiting the cave from Baltal route.”It will be the choice of pilgrims.”he added.
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