- Reviews final arrangements at Baltal
- Dedicates Pantha Chowk Yatri Niwas to pilgrims
- Launches campaign for zero-waste pilgrimage
Srinagar, Jun 30: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said that significantly better arrangements have been put in place for this year’s Amarnath Yatra compared to previous years.
During his visit to Baltal in Ganderbal to review on-ground preparations ahead of the Yatra commencing on July 3, LG Sinha noted that the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), civil administration, J&K Police, security forces, and all other stakeholders have implemented a range of pilgrim-centric measures to ensure a peaceful, safe, and hassle-free experience for devotees.
LG Sinha also chaired a high-level meeting attended by senior officers from various departments and top officials from security agencies. The meeting focused on finalizing coordination mechanisms and reviewing the preparedness for the annual pilgrimage.
Speaking to the media following the review, the LG expressed satisfaction over the comprehensive arrangements.
“I have closely observed the last four pilgrimage and I can confidently say that this year, the level of arrangements and preparedness by administration is far superior ,” LG Sinha said.
He lauded the seamless coordination between the various security forces, emphasizing that robust and well-integrated security protocols have been established to ensure the safety of all pilgrims.
“I hope that this year’s pilgrimage will be smoother and more successful than ever before. And the pilgrims who will come from all over the country will return with a memorable experience,” he added.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also inaugurated a newly constructed Yatri Niwas at Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, ahead of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, stating that this year’s arrangements surpass those of previous years in both scale and quality. The new facility has the capacity to accommodate 1,300 pilgrims, significantly enhancing lodging infrastructure for devotees.
Talking to reporters after throwing open the Yatri Niwas, LG Sinha said “This Yatri Niwas is a symbol of our dedication and commitment to provide better facilities for devotees of Baba Barfani and make their pilgrimage more comfortable and safer.”
Notably, the five floors of the Yatri Niwas building dedicated to the Yatris comprise of 75 rooms having a bed capacity of 225, and 43 dorm rooms.
LG Sinha said the construction of the second phase of Yatri Niwas will begin soon. It symbolises devotion to selfless service. Let us pray to Baba Amarnath to bless our land with peace, happiness and prosperity,” he added.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed his gratitude to Mukesh Garg, Member, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, his team members and Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board for their invaluable contribution in building the Yatri Niwas for the pilgrims.
The Lieutenant Governor also unveiled a painting on Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, by KK Gandhi.
The Lieutenant Governor has also launched a comprehensive IEC (Information, Education & Communication) campaign and various innovative initiatives of Directorate of Rural Sanitation, Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, for a sustainable and Zero-Waste pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji at Baltal. The initiatives include Yatra Logo, Yatra Anthem, campaign website and MIS portal, Trinetra App, Pamphlet & Yatra Guidelines, Yatra Mascots and IEC toolkit aimed to promote sustainable practices, address sanitation issues, share verified information, and engage Yatris through feedback along the Baltal and Pahalgam axis, with the goal of achieving a Zero Landfill Yatra.
Anoo Malhotra, Director General, Rural Sanitation briefed the Lieutenant Governor on dedicated measures taken by the department to make the yatra more sustainable.
It was informed that the Department has installed a total of 5613 toilets / bathing units, on both the axis, of which 2920 are on the Pahalgam axis and 2693 are on the Baltal axis. Further, 7361 sanitation workers are deployed to ensure cleanliness of these sanitation units. The department has also established 15 Processing Facilities for Solid Waste Management on both the axis.
Top security on Yatra routes with Hi-Tech gadgets
Srinagar, Jun 30: Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, a slew of top-tier security arrangements have been made, including the deployment of hi-tech gadgetry along the routes leading to the south Kashmir cave shrine, officials said on Monday.
For the first time, facial recognition systems (FRS) have been installed at strategic locations on both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes of Amarnath Yatra, and the installation of the technology has already yielded results with the arrest of two overground workers (OGWs) of terrorist organisations on June 19.
The FRS, which has been fed the images of active terrorists and suspected OGWs, alerts security forces on a real-time basis in case any blacklisted person comes into the frame of the surveillance cameras.
“As soon as any of the blacklisted persons walks into the frame, a hooter will go off at the surveillance centre manned by security forces so that steps to eliminate threat can be initiated in real time,” said an official involved in the installation of the systems.
Additionally, the entire yatra routes passing through Kashmir valley have been declared as “no fly zones” as authorities have banned the use of any UAVs or drones in these areas from July 1 to August 10.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, in south Kashmir Himalayas starts on July 3 and will culminate on August 9 to coincide with Raksha Bandhan.
The duration of the Yatra has been reduced to 38 days this year against 52 days last year.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has been visiting the base camps for the past week, reviewing the security and other arrangements for the pilgrims.
“I had a meeting with senior officers (of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board) and security agencies. After the meeting, I can say that the arrangements this year are much better. The coordination among the security agencies is good, and they are all alert,” Sinha told reporters at Baltal base camp on Monday.
Although a significant number of pilgrims have registered for this year’s pilgrimage even after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the authorities are not taking any chance and have bolstered security with several other measures.
Furthermore, all vehicles plying on the routes and individual pilgrims will be tagged with radio frequency identification technology, which will help in monitoring their movement.
The entire route from Jammu to the holy cave has been brought under CCTV surveillance, and a three-tier security blanket has been thrown around all the base camps, officials said.
A large number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed for static guard duty along the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The deployment of security personnel has also been carried out at some vulnerable spots on link roads connecting with the highway.
Random checking of vehicles is being done from dawn till late at night to ensure that no hostile element is able to breach the security arrangements, a senior police official said.
The Amarnath pilgrims have been the subject of several terrorist attacks in the past.
Thirty-two people, including two dozen Amarnath pilgrims, were killed in a terror attack at the Nunwan base camp in August 2000, while 13 people were killed in another strike in July 2001 when the ultras struck at the Sheshnag base camp of the Yatra.
In 2002, terror struck at Chandanwari base camp, and 11 pilgrims were killed.
In July 2017, an attack on Amarnath Yatra bus in Kulgam district left eight pilgrims dead.
