Machail Mata Yatra suspended for 3 days due to inclement weather in J-K’s Kishtwar

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district suspended Machail Mata pilgrimage for three days from October 5 following an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), an official said on Saturday. Earlier, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had also announced suspension of the pilgrimage during the same period as a precautionary measure. Sixty-five persons, mostly pilgrims, were killed and more than 100 injured, and 32 others remain untraced following a cloudburst in Chisoti, the gateway village to the Machail Mata shrine on August 14. In another incident, 34 pilgrims lost their lives and 20 others were injured in a landslide along the Vaishno Devi track on August 26. In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the IMD, the movement of pilgrims towards the Machail Mata shrine shall remain suspended from October 5 to 7 as a precautionary measure, Kishtwar District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma said in an order. He said the decision has been taken in view of the forecast of adverse weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and potential landslides in the region.

"No pilgrim shall be permitted to proceed towards the shrine during the said (suspension) period," Sharma said, requesting cooperation from all stakeholders and the pilgrims. Meanwhile, authorities have issued advisories urging people to remain vigilant and avoid flood-and landslide-prone areas in the Doda district, following the IMD's weather alert predicting rains and snowfall from October 4 to 7.

Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh said that the residents should stay away from rivers and other water bodies and urged nomadic families not to camp near riverbanks. He further advised that pregnant women and critical patients be shifted to safer locations in advance.

"We have made all the arrangements. Teams of snow clearance and road clearance have been put in place. Route safety is our priority," Singh told reporters in Doda.

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