Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra suspended until further orders

After remaining suspended for 19 days, the Vaishno Devi Yatra was once again postponed till further orders after heavy rainfall lashed the Bhawan track, announced the Shrine Board on Saturday. The yatra was scheduled to commence on September 14. 

"Jai Mata Di! Due to incessant rain at Bhawan & the track, commencement of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra scheduled from 14th Sept stands postponed till further order," the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter). "Devotees are requested to stay updated through official communication channels."

The yatra was earlier suspended on August 26 following heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir. A major landslide had also hit the yatra route on the same day, leading to the death of 34 people, while 20 others were left injured. Later, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha constituted a three-member high-level committee to investigate the landslide incident near Adhkuwari on the yatra route. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the safety of those who were injured. "The loss of lives due to a landslide on the route to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is saddening. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," he had posted on 'X'.

Heavy rains in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir was lashed by heavy rains in the last few months, leading to flash floods and cloudbursts in many parts of the union territory (UT) that caused colossal damage and loss of lives. On Saturday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, however, that the damaged structures would be rebuilt with better specifications to withstand natural calamities. 

He made the remark during his visit to affected villages in Jammu district. "Everyone knows how the entire region has been flood-affected. Prime Minister Modi is monitoring every moment of all three states (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir). He has issued instructions that the central government, in full coordination with the state governments, should set up all arrangements," news agency ANI quoted Singh as saying.