After a gap of two years, Amarnath Yatra begins amidst tight security arrangements. The 45-day-long holy pilgrimage will continue till August 11.
The Amarnath shrine pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva, located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, is held from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal. The Jammu and Kashmir government had cancelled the annual Amarnath pilgrimage due to Covid-19 pandemic situation in 2020 and 2021.
Heavy security arrangements have been made for Amarnath Yatra this year by the government. The first batch for this year’s Amarnath Yatra left from Chandigarh, on Wednesday. Approximately three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in the pilgrimage to the cave shrine located in the upper reaches of south Kashmir. This year, the pilgrims can also avail helicopter service directly from Srinagar for the Yatra.
Before the commencement of the Yatra, security arrangements and preparations were reviewed by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Monday. He also chaired a review meeting with Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa, ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh, and other officials.
Amarnath yatra has been important to boost the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Lakhs of people are dependent on this yatra and all the people here are eagerly waiting for the yatra after two years.
In Jammu and Kashmir, all necessary arrangements have been completed by the Ramban district administration for the convenience of the Amarnath Yatries on the 66 km journey from Nashri to Banihal.
Along with mobile toilets, 1,005 toilets have facilitated all along the NH44 and in shelter sheds. Designated water supply, CCTV cameras, public sign boards have also been installed to keep the yatris updated.
Well equipped DRDO hostels are available in both the base camps for Amarnath Yatris. The best possible arrangements have been made for the pilgrims to stay. The camps have been set up at the Jammu airport, the railway station and the bus stand, and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on the basis of travel slips and identity cards have been issued.
Also the battery-operated cars are available for the pilgrims for the 2.3-km distance of Baltal and Domel. The LG told that the Amarnathji Shrine Board mobile application has been revamped and launched in five languages — Hindi, English, Punjabi, Gujarati and Telugu — to facilitate the pilgrims with up-to-date information or advisories etc.
Nitishwar Kumar, CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board stated that Langar, medical facilities, communication and sanitation facilities for the pilgrims have also been taken care of. For pilgrims to not have any issue with searching places, Signboards and a public address system have also been prepared for disseminating necessary information. All the necessary arrangements have also been made for any medical related emergency of yatris in the langars and other shelter sheds under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer.
Police control rooms, joint control rooms, helpline numbers and District Emergency Operation Centre numbers have also been established. All possible arrangements have been put in place to ensure a safe, hygienic, and peaceful journey for the Amarnath Yatris. Chief Nodal Officers have been deployed to monitor the regular and smooth operation of all the facilities established.
Over 130 sniffer dogs are currently deployed on routes from Srinagar and Jammu towards holy Amarnath cave to detect explosives suspected to be used by the terrorist outfits to disrupt the annual pilgrimage.