J&K govt enhances Amarnath arrangements by 50 per cent

The Jammu and Kashmir government has reviewed arrangements, including security deployment, for the two-month pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine commencing next month.

This year's pilgrimage arrangements were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Basharat Ahmad here yesterday, an official spokesman said today.

Stressing the need for greater co-ordination among various departments for successful conclusion of the yatra, Ahmad reviewed matters like security, medicare, sanitation, power and water supply, accommodation and disaster management, said the spokesman.

The meeting also decided to enhance the arrangements by 50 per cent in view of heavy inflow of pilgrims expected this year, he said, adding that Ahmad had asked the concerned departments to be prepared before June 1, so that pilgrims do not have to face any inconvenience.

60 generator sets have been arranged to tide over power problems along the pilgrimage route and roads to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine would be repaired, he said.

The same arrangements would be made available on the Baltal route, the spokesman said. He also said that a mechanism to combat any eventuality was evolved during the meeting.

Joint control rooms would be set up at Baltal and Pahalgam to monitor the situation on a daily basis, he said.

He added that deputy commissioners of Anantnag and Srinagar and SDM, Ganderbal would be yatra officials for Pahalgam, Srinagar and Baltal respectively to ensure coordination among various departments.