The annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir administration said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken in a meeting presides over by Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu, who is also Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. The Board members participated virtually through video conference to discuss the conduct of the Yatra 2020.
"The meeting was attended by Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Shri Bipul Pathak, CEO SASB; Shri Anup Kumar Soni, Addl CEO SASB & senior officers of Shrine Board. Threadbare discussion was held on the current circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic and its likely impact on the Yatra," the government spokesman said.
The Board, he said, discussed the Supreme Court order dated July 13, 2020 in which the decision to conduct the Yatra was left to the government after assessing the ground realities prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The Board was informed that the arrangements were on track since February 2020, but due to nationwide lockdown and pandemic, State Executive Committee, J&K has still continued to keep religious places and places of worship closed for the public. These prohibitions continue till 31st July," the spokesman said.
"The Board further discussed that pandemic has put the health administration system to its limit. The spike has been particularly very sharp in July. Health Workers and Security Forces are also getting infected and the focus of entire Medical, Civil and Police Administration at the moment is on containing the local transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health concerns are so serious that the strain on the health system, along with the diversion in resources to the Yatra, will be immense. This would also unnecessarily put the Yatris at risk of catching the COVID-19," the spokesman added.
The 42-day yatra was earlier scheduled to commence from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal on June 23 but was delayed due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) then decided to undertake the yatra in the last week of July for a short duration of 15 days.
However, given a steep spike in the Coronavirus cases in the Valley, the Yatra has been cancelled this year.
