Qazigund: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V K Birdi, on Wednesday said that elaborate security arrangements have been put in place by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in coordination with the CRPF and other security agencies to ensure a safe and incident-free Amarnath Yatra.
The 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine nestled in Himalayas, will commence on July 3 through the twin tracks of the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
According to the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V K Birdi today visited the Nayvug Tunnel in Qazigund to review the security arrangements and assess preparedness ahead of the arrival of the first batch of pilgrims tomorrow. The first batch of yatris is scheduled to leave the Jammu base camp on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, IGP Birdi, as per KNO, said that senior police officers are inspecting deployments across all Yatra districts to identify any shortcomings and further strengthen the security grid. “We have deployed personnel at transit camps and other strategic locations. Pilgrims are requested to follow the Shrine Board guidelines, traffic advisories and cut-off timings to ensure a smooth pilgrimage,” he said.
Officials said that Road Opening Parties (ROPs) are carrying out daily sanitisation of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Security pickets have been established at designated locations as per Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), while every ROP is responsible for thoroughly checking a stretch of four to five kilometres, including adjoining areas.
They said a multi-layered surveillance network comprising CCTV cameras, drones, Facial Recognition Camera (FRC) systems, watch towers and round-the-clock night patrolling has been established along the route. Anti-drone systems have also been activated to counter any aerial threats, while control rooms have been set up at strategic locations for real-time coordination among security agencies.
According to officials, around 140 CRPF companies have been deployed from Anantnag to the holy cave. The deployment has been reinforced by specialised CRPF units, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security formations to maintain a robust security grid throughout the pilgrimage.
Officials said transit camps have also been fully prepared to receive pilgrims. The FCI Godown transit camp at Mir Bazar has the capacity to accommodate nearly 3,000 pilgrims, while the Walnut Factory transit camp at Levdora, Qazigund can host more than 1000 pilgrims. Both camps have been equipped with accommodation, food, medical facilities and other essential services.
