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| Katra observes bandh, holds shrine board responsible for death of 34 Vaishno Devi pilgrims | | | |  JAMMU AUGUST 31:-
A day after a landslide left 34 Vaishno Devi pilgrims dead and scores were injured near Ardhkuwari, Katra town, on Thursday, observed a successful bandh in protest against Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board’s “criminal negligence”. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti had given the bandh call. A procession of locals, joined by devotees, was taken out from Shalimar Park that culminated at Shridhar Chowk where floral tributes were offered to the 34 pilgrims, who died on Wednesday.
Former Congress minister Jugal Kishore and party leader Bhupinder Singh Jamwal also joined the procession. However, youth Congress leader Karandeep Singh, who was on his way to Katra from Reasi to join the procession, was detained enroute by a police team. Singh derided the police action and accused the BJP and LG of indulging in ‘autocratic’ rule.
“I was going to Katra to express solidarity with the deceased pilgrims but the police detained me enroute. This is sheer autocracy,” he said.
Sangharsh Samiti chairperson Bali Ram Rana blamed LG Manoj Sinha and CEO Sachin Kumar Vaishya for the 34 deaths. “There was no cloudburst as claimed by the LG. It was raining heavily and the shrine board had dumped construction material atop Ardhkuwari. There is a dumping yard. Heavy rains triggered a landslide and all the construction material came crashing down with it,” he said.
LG’s administration is under fire for allowing the pilgrims on hilly trek despite severe weather warnings by the IMD and disaster management department. The Jammu-Srinagar NHW remains closed due to damage at several places between Jakheni and Chenani. “People are advised not to undertake journeys on Jammu-Srinagar NHW till the restoration work is completed and the surface is traffic worthy. Sinthan road is also closed,” said a traffic police officer.
Similarly, Jammu-Pathankot national highway has suffered extensive damage at various places including Sahar Bridge near Kalibari in Kathua and Devak Bridge in Vijaypur in Samba district. However, traffic police have diverted the traffic to interior roads for facilitating movement of vehicles.
Since Wednesday around 9 to 10 pm, heavy rains subsided in the Jammu region and the weather has improved. In the past 24 hours Bhaderwah recorded 6.0 mm rainfall, Batote 6.2 mm, Qazigund 0.6 mm, Jammu 5.4 mm, Katra 5.0 mm, Banihal 1.3 mm and drizzle at few places.
Northern Railways, on Thursday, arranged to run special trains for passengers stranded in Jammu division due to heavy rains and floods. The first special train, number 02238, carrying about 1,400 to 1,500 passengers, left Jammu for Banaras at 3.45 pm followed by a second special train number for New Delhi, which departed at 5.40 pm, carrying over 1,500 passengers.
Heavy rains have caused massive disruption in train services, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in the Jammu region. Senior commercial manager of Jammu rail division, Uchit Singhal, said that along with running trains for the passengers stranded due to floods, the railway administration also made arrangements for their food and water at important stations like Jammu, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Pathankot Cantt, Pathankot City.
While weather has improved for now, director school education Jammu ordered closure of government and private schools across Jammu division till Saturday as a preventive measure and directed authorities concerned to conduct a safety audit of school buildings to ensure they were safe, strong and secure for students.
Meanwhile, four kin of deceased pilgrims, who had come from Rajasthan’s Churu alleged that gold jewellery like bracelet, chain and rings were found stolen from dead bodies.
“Besides a wrist watch, my brother Arvind Kumar Soni was wearing a gold bracelet, a gold chain and rings. Only a wrist watch has been left on his wrist while all gold jewellery is missing,” one of them.
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