As Covid-19 wanes, J&K government gears up to hold Amarnath yatra

With Covid-19 on the decline, Jammu and Kashmir administration is making preparations for holding the annual Amarnath yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas after three years.

The government has directed all departments to make advance planning and coordinated synergy to cater to all the requirements of pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage this summer.

The annual yatra was cancelled in 2020 as well as 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and only symbolic ‘Chhari Mubarak’ was taken to the cave shrine by the Mahant Deependera Giri Ji and Sadhus. In 2019 it was cut short following intelligence inputs of terror threats ahead of the Centre scrapping Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2018, the pilgrimage was held for 60 days.

The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the preparation of concerned departments regarding the forthcoming yatra. “During the current year, the influx of yatris may be higher as the pilgrimage could not happen smoothly in the previous couple of years due to Covid pandemic,” an official spokesperson said.

Pole, he said, directed all the departments to prepare and project enhanced plan by 50 per cent. In this regard, he also enjoined all the officers to increase the capacity of camping sites, parking places and service facilities including health, drinking water, toilet and other facilities.

Emphasizing on the registration of all pony wallas, labours, the Pole directed concerned officers for hiring pony wallas from other districts to cater to the demand. The Div Com also directed the PWD for widening of roads at critical junctions, culverts and reparation of damages caused by cloudbursts to physical infrastructure near holy cave during the previous year.

Stressing on early execution of works, the Div Com directed all the departments to start execution of work from the first week of April, as the snow fall was less during this winter and complete all the works and preparation by May 15.

Every year lakhs of pilgrims either take the traditional and longer 45-km-long Pahalgam route or the shorter 14-km-long Baltal route to Amarnath, one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines.

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