Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, suspended after landslide killed 34, resumes in J&K

By 2 pm Thursday, nearly 2,200 pilgrims had been issued yatra slips for their onward journey from Katra to the holy shrine, officials said, adding that the number was expected to cross 4,000 by evening.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board officials were also heard making announcements about the availability of tickets for helicopter sorties between Katra and Sanjichat.

The pilgrimage has also been spurred by the reopening of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for the second day. The highway, closed for nearly three weeks after heavy rain and landslides, reopened Wednesday to allow apple trucks to make their way to the rest of India.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced five marlas of land at a new location to people whose houses were destroyed in land subsidence at Poonch’s Kalaban.

Speaking to the media, Abdullah said he had asked the administration to draft a proposal for allotting land to such people and help them build at least two rooms under different government housing schemes before the onset of winter.

At least 76 houses, three schools and two religious places have been damaged in the Kalanban land subsidence triggered by heavy rain, sources said.