Visits Bhagwati Nagar YatriNiwas, reviews facilities
Tight security arrangements in place for safe, secure Yatra: Police
2500 pilgrims to leave for twin base camps in Kashmir
Srinagar, June 27: Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha will flag-off the first batch of AmarnathYatra from YatriNiwas, Bhagwati Nagar Jammu on Friday. For the smooth conduct of the Yatra tight security arrangements have been put in place, officials said.
The first batch of Yatris will leave Bhagwati Nagar YatriNiwas at 4 a.m. Friday in an escorted convoy for the valley and pilgrims will have ‘Darshan’ on Saturday.
Around 2500 pilgrims will leave for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas.
Hundreds of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to secure the nearly 270 km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway as part of the AmarnathYatra duties.
Additional CAPF teams are stationed along the 85 km long Srinagar-Baltal base camp road and the Qazigund-Pahalgam base camp road.
Authorities have established Yatra transit camps at Manigam in Ganderbal district on the Srinagar-Baltal route and at Mir Bazar on the Qazigund-Pahalgam route.
So far, 3.60 lakh pilgrims have registered for this year’s AmarnathYatra. Additionally, 125 ‘Langars,’ have been set up along the two routes to the Cave Shrine, staffed by over 7,000 volunteers.
Helicopter services are available for pilgrims on both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. This year, 38 mountain rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, Border Security Force (BSF), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed for the Yatra.
Meanwhile this year, Jammu and Kashmir Police is using advanced technology, including drones and 34 CCTV cameras. This year’s pilgrimage will be closely monitored from control room Srinagar to provide a secure and smooth experience for all participants.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of Jammu Zone, Anand Jain said that security measures have been implemented on the Highway, at Langers, Lodgement centers, and nakas.
“We have provided directions to officers and officials stationed at sensitive points, emphasizing the need for vigilance in light of the current security scenario. The potential threats from Anti-National Elements (ANEs) aiming to disrupt the Yatra and underscored the necessity of foolproof security,” he said.
“There is a need for coordination and a people-friendly approach to ensure the comfort and security of pilgrims. We have the highest level of alertness, have directed officers to keep a close watch on any suspicious activities and maintain round-the-clock vigilance,” he added.
Regarding installing of CCTV’s, ADGP Jammu said they have already set up CCTV cameras, morchas, the communication network, and transport arrangements for Security Forces (SFs).
“We will ensure the implementation of the cut-off timings so that the flow of that yatra to and from Jammu and Kashmir is smooth. More police and traffic police will be deployed on the roads that are under construction that are manned for smooth movement of Yatra,” he added.
Pertinent to mention here, over 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance to the natural ice Shiva Lingam formation inside the cave shrine last year.
Meanwhile, LG Manoj Sinha, today visited YatriNiwas at Bhagwati Nagar and reviewed the arrangements for ShriAmarnathJiYatra.
The Lt Governor also met and interacted with the pilgrims. Subsequently, he chaired a meeting with officials and reviewed the measures taken to facilitate the comfortable stay of the pilgrims. The chair was briefed on the extensive arrangements made for the smooth pilgrimage of the devotees.
The Lt Governor directed the stakeholder departments to deploy adequate man-power to cater to the heavy rush of the pilgrims.
He also interacted with the service providers and took appraisal of the facilities including logistics, lodging, food, health, transportation, RFID counters and other amenities.
The holy annual ShriAmarnathJiYatra will commence from June 29.
RR Swain DGP; M.K Sinha, ADGP Headquarters; Anand Jain, ADGP Jammu; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Deputy Commissioner Jammu and other senior officials accompanied the Lt Governor.
