The Kinner Kailash Yatra, set to start from July 1 in Kinnaur, has been postponed after a special reconnaissance team identified severe safety hazards along the pilgrimage route.The decision comes days after The Tribune reported concerns by local residents over the yatra, citing ecological threat and deities’ opposition to it.The reconnaissance team, which was constituted to assess the safety and feasibility of the pilgrimage, reported a serious threat to the lives of pilgrims and emergency response teams from hazards like glaciers, unstable boulders, falling rocks, etc., along the route. In view of the report, the district administration has postponed the yatra.Earlier, local residents, including the people associated with local deities, had submitted a memorandum to the Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner to cancel the yatra, citing environmental concerns and the deities’ displeasure with the pilgrimage.According to Baldev Singh, a member of Dev Samaj in the Pawari gram panchayat, the local deities have warned of serious consequences if the yatra continues, as it has polluted the holy area in the vicinity of Kinner Kailash. “Water sources have been polluted. Our holy flower and other medicinal plants are on the verge of extinction. Many more deities have spoken against the yatra. We fear ignoring their warning can bring misfortune and disaster to the area,” he said.Meanwhile, the scouting team found large glaciers along the 16-17 km route, particularly on the stretch from Miling Khata to the Shivling. It also found large rocks and boulders resting precariously within these glaciers, making the terrain highly unstable. Besides, the stretch between Gufa and Sorang has been obstructed by boulders at several locations, rendering the passage unsafe. Their report said the removal of these boulders would require time, specialised equipment and necessary safety precautions.In view of these findings, the district administration has urged all devotees not to undertake the pilgrimage until further orders. The administration will review the order only after the route is certified as safe and suitable for travel.