Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security and arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, which will begin on July 1 and end on August 31.
The meeting was attended by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) of the Northern Command, Upendra Dwivedi, and CRPF’s Director General SL Thaosen, among other officers.
The Home Minister took stock of the preparedness and security measures for the 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas. He also discussed the plans that are being formulated to ensure a fool proof security for the pilgrimage, which is expected to witness a surge in the number of devotees this year.
According to sources, there have been intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based terror outfits may try to disrupt the pilgrimage for which adequate security forces will be deployed. The sources said that the home minister also reviewed the contingency measures in case of any natural disaster or emergency situation during the yatra.
The Indian Air Force helicopters are expected to be deployed to carry out aerial sorties in the upper reaches of the holy cave to check for glacial events and the formation of lakes that may trigger flash floods downhill. The National Disaster Response Force has also started identifying ideal locations for setting up pilgrim camps keeping in mind any possible unforeseen natural disaster.
The Amarnath Yatra is considered one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Hinduism and attracts lakhs of devotees every year. Last year, as many as 3.45 lakh people visited the holy cave.
