Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, June 20: The first batch of Amarnath Yatra is all set to leave from the base camp here at Bhagwati Nagar on June 27 amid tight security measures for holy cave.
The State administration has finalized all the arrangements including security cover to yatris from Lakhanpur to holy cave situated in deep Himalayas in Kashmir Valley at an altitude of 14,000 feet from the sea level.
According to Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pardeep Gupta, the first batch of yatra is scheduled to leave from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on June 27 to hold darshan at holy cave on June 28. He said all arrangements including security for pilgrims have been made from Lakhanpur to Banihal in Jammu region as well as from Banihal to holy cave in Kashmir Valley on both sides of tracks i.e the traditional Pahalgam Nunwan track and shortest Baltal track.
However this year, the yatra registration has been strictly made on the basis of health certificates issued by the doctors and no pilgrim without obtaining the health and fitness certificate will be allowed to leave for darshan from the designated doctors for the job, he said, adding the Government has decided to implement the Supreme Court directives strictly in this regard.
To avert any untoward incident, the yatris will be provided three tier security by Army, CRPF and J&K Police, he said, adding the administration as well as Shri Amarnath Shrine Board have geared up in finalizing the arrangements.
The yatris will leave at 5 am from base camp Jammu daily under tight security arrangements. To ensure proper safety of yatris during their pilgrimage the authorities have made the arrangements of stand-by accommodation for 15,000 pilgrims daily enroute from Lakhanpur to Banihal at district headquarters of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban. Besides the respective Deputy Commissioners will also give permissions for free langers enroute in their area, he added.
Meanwhile, according to sources, four companies of CRPF along with J&K Police security personnel have been deployed at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas from June 15 to sanitize the area and ensure that no unscrupulous elements made entry in the Yatri Niwas. The CRPF personnel have started their activities of sanitizing the area with the assistance of dog squads and bomb squads, sources added.
The four companies of CRPF which have been deployed at Bhagwati Nagar included G Company, B Company, C Company and D Company and they have started the installation of tents in the Yatri Niwas area also.
In addition to it, the installation of tents and bunkers by security personnel, the private agencies have also started construction of sheds for providing free services of langer etc to the yatris at base camp which will be ready by June 25. Over 100 tents and sheds are likely to be installed at Yatri Niwas, sources added.
The sources said the arrangements are in place at base camps of Baltal and Nunwan also and the widening of track on both sides is going on with full speed by R&B. The railing work on downside of track from Baltal is going on while widening of track from Pahalgam side is also on and it will be completed before June 28 the first day of darshan, sources added.
Sources said that apart from tented accommodation at base camp of Baltal 150 prefabricated huts are in place. Besides, this the outsource huts have also been installed enroute to holy cave and tented accommodations will be also provided to pilgrims enroute, sources added.
Sources said 3300 pre fabricated toilets have been erected and proper arrangements of sanitation have been made on both sides of the track especially at base camps of Baltal and Nunwan with construction of two sewerage Treatment plants one each at Baltal and Nunwan.
Sources said that at Baltal the sewerage treatment plant will cater to the needs of 10,000 yatris per day while at Nunwan it will cater to the needs of 8000 people per day.
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