New Delhi (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir government has increased the maximum limit of pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine from 7,000 to 15,000 per day, to come into effect from November 1.
The order issued by J&K government stated, “Instead of a ceiling of 7,000 mentioned at para 3(ix), the upper limit for permissible number of pilgrims to SMVD Shrine, Katra, shall be 15,000, w.e.f. 01.11.2020.”
The order also said that the requirement for travelers to undergo 14-day home quarantine as mentioned at Para 6 shall be deleted. “All other protocol or instructions shall continue to remain valid till 30.11.2020,” it added.
Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary has issued guidelines to extend lockdown in containment zones in Jammu and Kashmir till November 30. The unlock guidelines will remain in place outside containment zones. These guidelines were issued under Section 24 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Earlier, the limit of pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi Shrine was increased from 5,000 to 7,000 per day ahead of Navratri festival.
Reportedly, during the nine days of Navratri, more than 39,000 devotees have visited Mata Vaishno Devi on the hill of Trikuta in Jammu and Kashmir from October 17 to October 25.
However, all religious places in the union territory were reopened from August 16, almost after five months of the outbreak of COVID-19.
-RJV
