Reasi: The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra remained suspended for the eighth straight day on Tuesday due to persistent bad weather in the Trikuta hills of Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir.
Authorities have barred pilgrims from moving beyond the Katra base camp as a precaution, citing continuous rainfall, landslides, and flash floods. The suspension has left the base camp and nearby areas largely deserted, with devotees awaiting resumption of the pilgrimage. Shrine board officials and the Reasi district administration are monitoring the situation, while restoration of damaged routes is underway.
The yatra was first suspended on August 27 after a deadly landslide, triggered by heavy rains, killed 34 people. Following the incident, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the causes.
The panel, headed by Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department, also includes the Divisional Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police, Jammu. The committee has been tasked with probing the lapses, reviewing rescue and relief measures, and recommending SOPs to prevent future tragedies. Its report is to be submitted within two weeks to LG Sinha, who also chairs the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
Meanwhile, heavy rains and rain-induced landslides continue to cause widespread damage across Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the flood situation at a high-level meeting in Raj Bhavan, Jammu, attended by LG Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, and other officials. He later conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas, including the partially collapsed 4th Tawi bridge, and met residents of Mangu Chak village affected by the floods.
