Overview

• The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said the pause is a precaution and urged devotees to follow only official updates.
• Officials cited risks of landslides, flooding and cloudbursts, and asked pilgrims to avoid traveling to Katra base camp during the alert.
• Authorities have stepped up monitoring on vulnerable stretches, deployed additional rescue teams and increased public advisories.
• The tighter safety posture follows the August 26 landslide that killed 34 and injured about 20, after which the yatra was shut for 22 days and later saw about 1.7 lakh visitors during Navratri.
• A separate decision paused the Machail Mata pilgrimage in Kishtwar from October 5 to 7 under the same weather advisory.