Senior officers review security arrangements at Amarnath cave shrine
Srinagar: Top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday reviewed the arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and called for making adequate use of modern gadgets to augment security at important locations along the pilgrimage routes.
Senior officers of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) reviewed the security arrangements at the cave shrine located at a height of 3,888 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas as well as along the traditional route to it.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir Vijay Kumar, along with a team of officers from various security agencies, visited Panjtarni and the holy cave, a police spokesperson said.
He said the officers inspected the security measures put in place for a smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage.
Kumar was briefed by the officers on the ground about the security deployment. The ADGP inspected the drone cameras that are being used for better surveillance of the site and advised the officers to make adequate use of these modern gadgets to further augment the security at important locations.
During the visit, Kumar meticulously examined the security infrastructure, surveillance systems and communication networks. He also interacted with the officers on the ground to understand their challenges and gather valuable insights to further enhance the security arrangements.
The ADGP physically inspected the deployment of forces on the ground and instructed them for better coordination and joint efforts to ensure an incident-free yatra that is scheduled to start from Saturday (July 1).
Kumar told the officers that the conduct of the personnel deployed should be exemplary.
During the joint survey, the police chief of the Kashmir valley and the officers accompanying him thoroughly inspected the entire track and reviewed the security arrangements from Panjtarni to the holy cave.
They assessed the condition of the path, checked for any potential risks or obstacles and reviewed the existing security measures.
Kumar expressed his appreciation for the diligent efforts of the security forces and acknowledged their unwavering dedication. He urged them to maintain the highest level of vigilance and professionalism during the pilgrimage season, the spokesperson said.
The officers also interacted with other stakeholders involved in making the arrangements for the yatra, including representatives from organisations responsible for infrastructure maintenance, medical services and other essential support systems.
They listened to the concerns, suggestions and feedback provided by the stakeholders for evaluating and refining the security arrangements.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine will commence on July 1 and conclude on August 31. The pilgrims will embark on the yatra via two routes — the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan route in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the shorter 14-kilometre Baltal route in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal.
The first batch of pilgrims will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on June 30. They will travel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, before reaching their designated base camps in Pahalgam and Baltal.
Press Trust of India
