Amarnath Yatra: 45 mountain rescue teams set for deployment on routes

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat on Thursday flagged off 45 mountain rescue teams for deployment along the twin routes for Amarnath Yatra.

The 45 teams — comprising Jammu and Kashmir Police, State and National Disaster Response Forces, Central Reserve Police Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and Border Security Force — will be deployed at 21 locations along the two routes to the sacred Amarnath cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas.

“Like every year, our teams will be stationed there to assist pilgrims this year too. They will provide every kind of facility (to the devotees). And God forbid, if any disaster occurs, they will actively respond to it and tackle it,” SDRF Director Imtiyaz Hussain Mir told reporters here. Mir said the annual Amarnath Yatra is a very sacred pilgrimage in the country.

“The overall role of Jammu and Kashmir Police in this is very important, along with other security forces. These mountain rescue teams are specially trained. Most of them have been deployed before as well. They provide all kinds of assistance, especially in emergencies, to pilgrims who come here from every corner of the country,” he added.

Mir said extra effort was put in and equipment augmented for this year’s deployment.

“We are trying to provide better facilities for the mountain rescue team so that they can offer better services to the pilgrims. We hope the yatra will be very successful. We will fulfil this duty and responsibility completely,” he added.

Meanwhile, mock drills were conducted in several districts in the Valley as security forces intensified measures to ensure a smooth pilgrimage this year, officials said.

This year, the Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28.

“To assess and strengthen the security preparedness, emergency response mechanisms, and inter-agency coordination for the smooth and safe conduct of the annual pilgrimage, authorities are conducting comprehensive mock drills across the Valley,” the officials said.

On Thursday, mock drills were conducted in the Pulwama and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir.