Katra administration orders immediate shutdown of hotels near Balini bridge citing landslide threat

Katra 31 August :- In a decisive move to ensure pilgrim safety, the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Katra has issued an immediate vacation order for all commercial establishments, including hotels and dharamshalas, along two critical stretches deemed vulnerable to landslides.

The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Maantik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, mandates the closure of all such businesses located from Asia Chowk to Balini Bridge and from Balini Bridge to Darshani Deodi. This urgent directive comes in response to recent heavy rains and inclement weather that have triggered massive landslides near the Balini Bridge and the Shani Temple at Kadran, as well as caused road sinking at several other spots.

SDM Katra, Piyush Dhotra (JKAS), stated that these incidents have made the areas highly vulnerable, and the continued operation of establishments poses a significant risk to public safety, especially given the large number of pilgrims visiting the town for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra.

The order will remain in effect until each individual establishment obtains a mandatory Safety Certificate from the Executive Engineer of the PWD (R&B) in Katra, confirming the structural integrity of their buildings. The Superintendent of Police in Katra has been tasked with enforcing this order, with any violations inviting strict punitive action under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Issued on August 26, 2025, the order was enacted on an ex-parte basis, citing the impossibility of providing prior notice due to the imminent nature of the threat.