Amarnath yatra begins Monday amid fool-proof security

Amid fool-proof security, the 45-days annual Amarnath pilgrimage is set to begin simultaneously on Pahalgam and Baltal routes in Kashmir from July 1.

However, the first batch of 2,234 pilgrims left Sunday morning from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the base camps in Kashmir where from they will proceed for onward journey to the cave shrine. The first batch will reach twin base camps by this evening.

Amid chants of 'Bam Bam Bhole", the devotees left Jammu for the pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas which would officially begin Monday.

To ensure violence-free yatra, the security top brass has ensured deployment of forces in various layers while as pilgrims will be provided with wrist bands fitted with microchips.

“The primary focus will remain on highways—Srinagar-Jammu and Srinagar-Ganderbal to ensure smooth flow of vehicles ferrying pilgrims. The pilgrim vehicles will be fitted with an RIFD chip that will remain under the radars connected with respective control rooms,” a senior police officer told DH.

He said no vehicle carrying pilgrims will be allowed to cross a particular point after a cut-off timing. “At the registration counters, every devotee will be provided with a wrist band with a microchip connected with the satellite towers installed at various locations. The movement of both, devotees as well as vehicles ferrying them, will remain under constant watch at the respective control rooms with the help of satellite, GPRS, micro-chips and RFID chips” the officer added.

The more elaborate measures for annual pilgrimage have been taken after the direction passed by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had asked the security agencies to “further tighten the security for the Yatra.” Shah was in Kashmir for two days from June 26 and chaired a series of security review meetings.

A source in the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), the managing body for the Amarnath yatra, said that at least 400 CCTVs have been installed at vulnerable points and also at both base camps—Chandanwari in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district and also at Baltal in Ganderbal district.

“Pilgrims will be provided with wrist bands fitted with microchips at the registration counters to ensure the monitoring of their movement. Similarly, the pilgrim vehicles will also be fitted with chips to keep a close track on them,” he said.

Last year 2,85,006 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine, while the number of pilgrims was 3,52,771 in 2015, 3,20,490 in 2016 and 2,60,003 in 2017.