Srinagar, June 12: Ahead of Amarnath Yatra, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) on Monday has issued a health advisory for pilgrims involving trekking at altitudes as high as 14,000 feet and issued a ban on junk food.
The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath which is located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, is all set to commence on July 1 and will go on till August 31.
It noted that due to the high altitude, the devotees may develop high altitude sickness with symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, light headedness and difficulty in sleeping “If high altitude sickness is not treated timely, it may be lethal in a matter of hours,” SASB added.
To keep the health of pilgrims in check, the board also shared a list of the permitted and banned food menus during the yatra. The list of banned and permitted items has also been shared with the langer authorities.
The prohibited food items include poori, bathura, pizza, burger, stuffed parantha, dosa, fried roti, bread with butter, cream-based foods, pickle, chutney, fried papad, chowmein, and all other fried or fast foods. Additionally, cold drinks, karrah halwa, jalebi, gulab jamun, laddu, khoya burfi, rasgulla. “All other halwai items, as well as snacks high in fat and salts such as chips , matthi, namkeen mixture, pakora, samosa, fried dry fruits, and all other deep-fried items are also prohibited,” reads the advisory.
It further said non-vegetarian foods, alcohol, tobacco, gutka, pan masala, cigarettes, and other intoxicants are strictly banned as well.
On the other hand, the permitted menu consists of cereals, pulses, green vegetables, green salad, fruits and sprouts, rice, jaggery, sambar, idli, uttapam, poha, herbal tea, coffee, low-fat curd, sharbat, lemon squash/water, figs, raisins, apricots, and other dry fruits.
In addition, the Director of Health Services in Jammu and Kashmir has issued a directive to all relevant officials, instructing them not to approve or forward leave applications from doctors and paramedical staff during the yatra period.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway to ensure cleanliness and hygiene during the upcoming yatra to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said on Monday.
The preparations include acquiring more prefabricated toilets, disinfectants, hiring extra sanitation staff, engaging more “Swachhagrahis”, pre-yatra sanitation of lodging areas and the yatra route and de-sludging septic tanks, forming sanitation teams and appointing nodal officers, among other initiatives, a statement by the ministry said.
It said through the “Swachh Amarnath Yatra” initiative, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 has not only improved the overall pilgrimage experience but also reinforced the values of cleanliness and hygiene among the devotees.
