The National Green Tribunal today clarified it has not declared a silence zone at the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas.<br/><br/>A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that due silence has to be maintained only in front of the ice stalagmite resembling the 'ShivaLinga'.<br/><br/>The green tribunal had yesterday declared the cave shrine as a silence zone and prohibited religious offerings beyond the entry point.<br/><br/>It had earlier said that declaring the area around the Amarnath cave shrine a "silence zone" would be helpful in preventing avalanches and maintaining its pristine nature.

The National Green Tribunal today clarified it has not declared a silence zone at the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas.<br/><br/>A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that due silence has to be maintained only in front of the ice stalagmite resembling the 'ShivaLinga'.<br/><br/>The green tribunal had yesterday declared the cave shrine as a silence zone and prohibited religious offerings beyond the entry point.<br/><br/>It had earlier said that declaring the area around the Amarnath cave shrine a "silence zone" would be helpful in preventing avalanches and maintaining its pristine nature.