J&K government directs marking of disaster-prone areas along Amarnath route before start of yatra

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government has directed those disaster-prone areas on the twin routes leading to the Amarnath cave shrine be marked before the start of the annual pilgrimage later this year, an official said on Tuesday.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo passed the directions to deputy commissioners of Anantnag and Ganderbal at the 14th high level committee meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), the official said.

The meeting was convened Monday to discuss the arrangements for the yatra which usually takes place in July and August.

Over 5.12 lakh pilgrims offered their prayers at the shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivling, last year.

The chief secretary stressed on marking of the disaster-prone areas on both the routes -- traditional 48 km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal -- so that no utilities, including tents are pitched in such areas.

He directed the disaster management, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction department to coordinate with the district administrations concerned regarding framing of SoPs for ensuring safe yatra for the pilgrims, the officials said.

The chief secretary asked the deputy commissioners concerned to facilitate all the service providers so that the facilities created at each location are appropriate and sufficient for both the devotees and facilitators.

The chief secretary asked all departments, including Public Works Department, Power Development Department, Jal Shakti, Rural Development Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Border Roads Organisation, Telecommunication, to complete the necessary tendering and other contract related processes in the upcoming month itself.

The chief secretary also took stock of the budget requirements of all departments to carry out the necessary works and procurements to be made for the yatra.

Other issues which came up for discussion was deployment of adequate manpower by the health department for making the base hospitals functional besides other health facilities enroute, the official said.