Traders blame construction by Shrine Board for Katra landslide

A massive protest erupted at Katra, the base camp of the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, on Thursday as local shopkeepers and traders alleged that large-scale construction activities were responsible for the landslide that killed at least 34 pilgrims on Tuesday.

The protesters raised slogans against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and said the tragedy could have been avoided had officials heeded weather department warnings. They held Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, who is chairman of the Shrine Board, accountable and demanded a probe.

Bali Ram Rana, chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti, claimed construction works had loosened the soil, triggering the landslide.

“The Shrine Board is responsible for the deaths and should answer for the incident. The L-G of J&K is the chairman of the Shrine Board and he should order an investigation into the incident. This happened due to the negligence of the administration,” said Rana.

The Sangarsh Samiti had earlier opposed the Shrine Board’s plans to construct a ropeway from Katra to Sanjhi Chhat, warning it would damage the fragile hills. The Rs 250-crore project was later put on hold.

The 13-km trek route to the shrine in the Trikuta hills already has hundreds of commercial establishments. To accommodate the annual footfall of over one crore pilgrims, the Shrine Board has built guest houses, a skywalk and other facilities, including Niharika, Shakti, Trikuta, Ashirwad and a spiritual growth centre at Katra. At Adhkuwari, pilgrim accommodation includes Sharda Bhawan and Shailputri Bhawan. A skywalk near the temple was inaugurated in October 2023.

However, the route has witnessed multiple landslides in recent months. On July 21, one person was killed near Banganga when a landslide struck a community kitchen. Earlier, on June 23, a slide occurred on the Himkoti track, though no one was injured.