The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday as authorities took precautionary measures following an adverse weather forecast and the possibility of heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Jammu division.

No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley on Saturday. Officials said the situation would be reviewed depending on weather conditions.

Weather forecast prompts precautionary halt

The decision came after the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rain in the region. Authorities are also closely monitoring the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which is the route used by pilgrims travelling from Jammu towards the yatra’s base camps.

Officials said the movement of pilgrims would depend on weather conditions and the status of the highway.

More than 4.75 lakh pilgrims had visited the holy cave shrine for darshan till Friday. The number of pilgrims arriving in Jammu for the pilgrimage has also declined.

Yatra continues from Baltal route

The annual Amarnath Yatra began on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

At present, pilgrims are undertaking the yatra from the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The route from the Nunwan base camp in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam is currently unavailable because track maintenance work is underway.

The latest suspension follows an earlier one-day halt on Thursday due to security arrangements on the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

On Thursday, a fresh batch of 1,801 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for Baltal. The group included men, women, sadhus and sadhvis and travelled in 74 vehicles under security arrangements.

More than 4.71 lakh pilgrims had darshan

Since the start of this year’s pilgrimage, more than 4.71 lakh pilgrims had already visited the holy cave shrine, according to officials.

The Amarnath cave is located at an altitude of around 3,880 metres in the Kashmir Himalayas. The shrine houses an ice stalagmite formation that changes in size with the phases of the moon and is revered by devotees as a symbol associated with Lord Shiva.

Delhi and several parts of the National Capital Region are likely to remain under generally cloudy skies with intermittent rain spells through August 14, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast comes after heavy rainfall caused widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions across the region.

The IMD had issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR for August 8. The rain also brought down temperatures across the capital, with maximum temperatures remaining 3 to 7 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.

Delhi records heavy rainfall

All 11 administrative districts of Delhi recorded significant rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on August 8.

South Delhi recorded some of the highest rainfall totals. The automatic weather station at the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University recorded 165 mm of rain, while the IGNOU campus station recorded 138 mm and Aya Nagar received 115 mm.

Palam recorded 104.6 mm, Najafgarh 103.5 mm and Janakpuri 102.5 mm during the same observation period. At Safdarjung Observatory, the official baseline station for New Delhi, 98.7 mm of rainfall was recorded.

The neighbouring NCR cities also received significant rainfall. Gurgaon recorded 96.5 mm, while Ghaziabad received 33 mm and Noida 28.5 mm during the same 24-hour period.

Temperatures fall as rain continues

The widespread rainfall brought a sharp drop in temperatures across the capital. Daytime maximum temperatures ranged between 26.5 degrees Celsius and 28.4 degrees Celsius, compared with a climatological norm of around 34.2 degrees Celsius for this period.

Minimum temperatures were recorded between 21.7 degrees Celsius and 25.9 degrees Celsius, also remaining below seasonal averages. Relative humidity reached 100% at several monitoring stations, while easterly winds of 20 to 25 km/h added to the cool and damp conditions.

Why is Delhi receiving so much rain?

According to the IMD’s analysis, multiple weather systems are contributing to the current rainfall over Delhi-NCR.

The monsoon trough is passing across North India, while the remnants of a weakened low-pressure system are associated with a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan and neighbouring areas. A mid-tropospheric western disturbance is also interacting with the monsoon flow.

Delhi-NCR rain forecast till August 14

The IMD expects generally cloudy conditions with intermittent rain spells across Delhi and adjoining NCR cities, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad, through August 14.

On Sunday, August 9, very light rain is possible from early morning to forenoon, with another light spell likely towards the evening. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly, with maximum temperatures between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius.

On Monday, August 10, the sky is expected to remain generally cloudy, with one or two spells of very light to light rain possible during the afternoon or evening.

On Tuesday, August 11, light rain is forecast from early morning to noon and again during the evening or night.

From Wednesday, August 12, to Friday, August 14, overcast conditions are expected to continue, with short spells of light rain possible between the forenoon and evening hours. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 32 and 35 degrees Celsius.

IMD issues waterlogging and travel advisory

The weather department has warned of localised waterlogging on major roads and low-lying underpasses, along with traffic congestion and reduced visibility during heavy downpours.

The IMD has advised commuters to check real-time traffic updates before travelling, follow directions issued by traffic authorities and avoid roads and underpasses that are prone to water accumulation during monsoon spells.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent message on women’s freedom and empowerment, linking the Congress leader’s remarks to the long-pending debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Rahul Gandhi, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, spoke about the need to bring women “back into the conversation” and allow them to pursue what they want.

Responding to the video, Kiren Rijiju described the message as positive but suggested that it reflected a “change of heart” within the Congress.

Kiren Rijiju links Rahul Gandhi’s message to women’s quota

“Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally,” Rijiju posted on X while reacting to Gandhi’s video.

Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks appeared to represent a change in the Congress leader’s position on women.

“This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There’s a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said in his post.

He then used the opportunity to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and urged the Congress to support it without conditions.

Congress, Centre differ over delimitation and women’s quota

The exchange comes against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise and its connection with the implementation of women’s reservation.

Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the government’s proposed delimitation legislation and have called for the 33 per cent reservation for women to be implemented based on the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been seeking to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies as part of the process for implementing the women’s quota. The 33 per cent reservation for women had earlier been passed unanimously by Parliament.

What Rahul Gandhi said about women’s freedom

Rahul Gandhi’s Friday Instagram video followed his response during a Thursday “Ask Me Anything” session, in which he was asked about young women fighting for their right to study.

Gandhi had said that “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset” and expressed dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, including in education and corporate systems.

In his subsequent video, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women was being restricted and that they were not always allowed to express themselves or imagine freely.

He argued that India could not fully succeed without women being able to express themselves.

Gandhi said women’s empowerment should not be limited to succeeding in business or politics. According to him, women should also be able to express their views at home and move freely on the streets.

He further spoke about women being able to question their parents, husbands, brothers and others, arguing that greater freedom from patriarchy and rigid control was necessary for India’s development.

The remarks subsequently drew Rijiju’s response, with the minister connecting Gandhi’s message on women’s empowerment to the political debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.