Banihal, Jul 31: A fresh batch of 1,605 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu early Friday for the Baltal base camp to undertake the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra amid a complete traffic halt on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) for urgent restoration and slope stabilisation works.
According to the Joint Police Control Room, the 24th batch departed at 2:42 am in a convoy of 54 vehicles, including 38 buses, seven medium motor vehicles (MMVs) and nine light motor vehicles (LMVs). The batch comprised 1,215 male pilgrims, 335 women, 48 sadhus, five sadhvis and two children accompanying sadhus. With this convoy, the total number of pilgrims who have departed from the Bagwati Nagar base camp Jammu this year has reached 1,35,806.
Meanwhile, vehicular movement on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) remained completely suspended on Friday following separate orders issued by the district administrations of Udhampur and Ramban to facilitate intensive road restoration, debris clearance and slope stabilisation works at vulnerable locations, including Gangroo and Kishtwari Pathar and Samroli , Ladha in Udhampur district. Authorities said the temporary traffic halt was necessary to ensure public safety and allow NHAI to undertake critical repair works for the safe reopening of the highway.
The Yatra convoy had crossed the affected highway stretch before the traffic suspension came into effect, officials said.
