Vaishno Devi yatra suspended for Day 17

JAMMU: The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage remained suspended from Katra town in Reasi district for the 17th day on Thursday, due to landslides and road blockages along the route triggered by incessant rain in J&K.The yatra was halted on Aug 26 after a landslide near Ardhkuwari killed 35 people, most of them devotees. Officials said this was the second-longest such break. Earlier, the yatra remained suspended for five months in 2020 — March 18 to Aug 16 — during the Covid-19 pandemic.Stakeholders were hopeful that the pilgrimage would resume by Navratri (Sept 22). Meanwhile, with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board having cancelled all bookings — including chopper tickets and pilgrim accomodation — devotees, hoteliers and others were left in the lurch. The trader community appealed to the shrine board to provide clarity on the resumption of the yatra.