Security agencies in Kashmir hold high-level meeting for Amarnath Yatra

The Yatra is being held after a hiatus of two years because of the Covid restrictions. This year, the Yatra is being held from June 30 to August 11 in which, according to the officials, six to eight lakh pilgrims are expected to arrive.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police Director General Dilbagh Singh presided over a high-level meeting of senior officers of police, civil administration and CAPF to review security arrangements and deployment of personnel for the Amarnath Yatra on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by several authority figures in the state including ADG CRPF Daljit Singh Chaudhry, Special DGCID RR Swain, ADGP Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh, IGP CRPRP Kashmir, IGP CRPRP Charo Sinha, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, IGP Traffic Jammu and Kashmir Vikram Jeet Singh, DIG Central Kashmir Sujit Kumar, and DIG South Kashmir Abdul Jabbar among others.

Speaking on the occasion, the DGP gave directions to strengthen all possible security arrangements and communication networks of the base campus. He called for effective and systematic regulation of traffic management on highways and other roads, parking of vehicles and deployment of forces on both the pilgrimage routes of Pahalgam and others. The DGP further urged the officers to make proper use of modern security equipment/technology including CCTV and drones to further enhance security at important places and routes of the Yatra. He emphasized the need to focus on sensitive areas and base camps, including parking lots.

The Yatra is being held after a hiatus of two years because of the Covid restrictions. This year, the Yatra is being held from June 30 to August 11 which, according to the officials, six to eight lakh pilgrims are expected to join. Earlier, after the abolition of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, the central government had stopped the yatra in mid-2019.

The Amarnath pilgrims were also attacked by militants on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in the Anantnag district, leading to a few casualties. Following the attacks, the highway is heavily guarded by security forces and all entrances and exits are cordoned off to thwart militant attacks.

To ensure smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra this year, the Central Government has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies to formulate a strong security plan for the Amarnath Yatra. It should be noted that online registration for Amarnath Yatra 2022 started on April 11, while the Home Ministry has already deployed 40 companies of security forces to protect it.