Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a comprehensive review on Friday of the arrangements being made for the smooth conduct of the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir. The annual pilgrimage, which spans 62 days, is scheduled to commence on July 1 and conclude on August 31.
The pilgrimage takes devotees to the cave shrine of Amarnath, situated at an altitude of 3,880 meters in the South Kashmir Himalayas.
The meeting was attended by prominent officials, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi of the Army’s Northern Command, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka. The Home Minister, along with senior officials from the central government, the Army, and the Jammu and Kashmir administration, reviewed the preparations for the Amarnath pilgrimage.
During the meeting, Shah also assessed the plans being formulated to ensure foolproof security for the pilgrimage. There have been intelligence inputs suggesting that terrorist groups based in Pakistan may attempt to disrupt the pilgrimage. All stakeholders involved in the pilgrimage were part of the meeting, where various issues related to the arrangements were discussed.
Officials stated that last year, 3.45 lakh people visited the holy cave, and this year, the number could increase to 5 lakh. To prevent incidents similar to last year’s flash flood that claimed 16 lives near the shrine, the National Disaster Response Force has begun identifying suitable locations for setting up pilgrim camps, taking into account the possibility of unforeseen natural disasters.
Indian Air Force helicopters are expected to be deployed for aerial sorties in the higher regions around the holy cave to monitor glacial events and the formation of lakes that could trigger flash floods downstream.
Unlike last year when such sorties were conducted only after the flash floods occurred in June, this year’s exercise will be conducted before the commencement of the pilgrimage and at regular intervals throughout the two-month yatra.
The aerial surveys will be carried out by a team with expertise in remote sensing, satellite technology, hydrology, and disaster response. Contingency measures will be promptly implemented upon the identification of potential water build-up, particularly in areas near the cave shrine, along the entire pilgrimage route.
Officials also reported that significant amounts of snow have been observed along both tracks - Baltal and Pahalgam - leading to the holy cave. Therefore, the Border Roads Organisation has been tasked with clearing the snow by June 15th to ensure safe passage for the pilgrims.