Banihal, Jul 15: The 14th batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Wednesday under multi-layer security arrangements, with 6,251 devotees proceeding towards the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir.

According to the Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), 2,985 pilgrims opted for the Baltal route while 3,266 pilgrims left for the Pahalgam axis. The convoy comprised 230 vehicles, including 137 buses, 34 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), and 59 light motor vehicles (LMVs).

The pilgrims included 4,439 men, 1,614 women, 13 children, 78 sadhus, 53 sadhvis, one sadhu child, three transgender pilgrims, and 50 foreign male pilgrims.

The Baltal-bound convoy departed at 2:42 am, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy left at 3:27 am under multi-layer security arrangements.

As per the established Yatra traffic plan, the Baltal-bound convoy will halt at the Lambar Ground Langar in Banihal for breakfast, while pilgrims travelling via the Pahalgam route will stop at the Chanderkote Langar sites in Ramban district for breakfast and a brief rest before resuming their onward journey to the Kashmir Valley.

Hundreds of volunteers and service providers at the langar sites continue to offer free meals, refreshments, drinking water and medical assistance to the pilgrims. The district administration of Ramban, security agencies and traffic police have made elaborate arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the smooth and safe movement of the Yatra convoy.

With the departure of the 14th batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the holy cave shrine this year has reached 99,287, officials said.

Banihal, Jul 15: A former sarpanch was killed after a shooting stone struck his car on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Ramban on Wednesday, police said.

Mohammad Iqbal Tantray, former sarpanch of Seri village in Ramban district, was returning home after dropping a person in Ramban town when a boulder rolled down from a hillside and hit his vehicle near Trishul Morh, they said.

The boulder struck Tantray on the head, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to the District Hospital Ramban, where doctors declared him brought dead, police said.

Police have registered a case and initiated further investigation.

A pall of gloom descended over Seri village and other parts of Ramban district as news of Tantray’s death spread. Locals described him as a respected public representative and expressed shock over the tragic incident.

The district administration Reasi has issued a public advisory warning residents to stay away from the banks of the River Chenab as reservoir silt flushing operations are scheduled to be carried out at the Salal Dam in Reasi and the Baglihar Dam in Ramban.

According to the advisory issued by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Reasi, Rakesh Kumar, the spillway gates of the Salal Power Station at Jyotipuram will remain open from 9:00 AM on July 17 to July 26 for reservoir silt flushing. Meanwhile, the drawdown flushing operation at the Baglihar Dam is scheduled to commence at around 10:00 PM on July 16.

The administration cautioned that the flushing operations could lead to a significant rise in the water level of the Chenab River, posing a serious risk to people living or moving along its banks. Villages likely to be affected include upstream areas such as Dharan, Thanpal, Arnas, Sai Lanjan, Narloo, Gari and Salmot, besides downstream villages including Gujjar Kothi, Saidh Baba, Bidda, Kachi Khera, Talwara, Nambla, Vijaypur, Bara Dari, Patta, Kansi Patta, Jedhi, Panassa, Badder, Chumbian, Dera Baba Banda Bahadur and Seri.

To prevent any untoward incidents, the administration has restricted the movement of people, vehicles, livestock and rafting activities along the Chenab riverbanks during the period from 10:00 PM on July 16 to July 26.

The advisory urges the public to avoid venturing near the river and exercise utmost caution throughout the flushing period.

The district administration has also directed Revenue, Police, SDRF and Rural Development Department officials to jointly monitor vulnerable locations along the river. Field-level functionaries, including Lambardars, Chowkidars and GRS/VLWs, have been instructed to disseminate the advisory among residents and ensure compliance to safeguard lives and property.