EC makes elaborate security for first phase LS polls in 8 UP seats today
The 8 seats where polling would be held in the first phase include Saharanpur, Bijnor, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur, and Pilibhit.
Another batch of 1,561 pilgrims on Sunday left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
“The yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 62 vehicles. Of these, 1,179 yatris are going to Pahalgam base camp while 382 are going to Baltal,” a police officer said here.
The 60-day long annual Amarnath Yatra which started on June 28 has been going on smoothly for the last 25 days with over 2,30,000 pilgrims having performed the yatra.
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Except for the vagaries of weather due to which four pilgrims were killed by a landslide on the Baltal-cave shrine route, the yatra has been proceeding smoothly.
Those using the 14-km long Baltal trek return to the base camp the same day after performing the yatra while those using the 36-km long traditional Pahalgam trek take three days to reach the cave shrine.
Helicopter services are also available for pilgrims on both Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
But the journey is not without its risks. In the past 17 days, 22 people died because of landslides and health reasons while trekking to the cave shrine.
Governor NN Vohra, Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), had on Thursday announced ex gratia Rs 3 lakh each to the next of kin of 5 pilgrims who died due to shooting stones on Baltal-Holy Cave route and three cases of deaths in road accidents.
Between 28 June and 11 July, 20 pilgrims had died en route the holy cave. In addition, two service providers also died, thereby raising the death toll to 22. Out of 22 persons, 14 persons died due to medical reasons and 8 in accidents at different locations.
On the other hand, the Muslim community living along the pilgrimage route in their centuries-old tradition continue to support the pilgrim by acting as helpers, ‘ponywallahs’ or even setting up roadside tea-stalls.
The 60-day long Yatra will end on 26 August coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.
(With inputs from agencies)
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