New Delhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting on Friday to review the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra to begin soon in Jammu and Kashmir and the security arrangements related to it. Sources gave this information.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the holy cave of Amarnath, located at an altitude of 3,880 meters in the south Kashmir Himalayas, to visit Baba Barfani will begin from July 1 and continue till August 31. Sources said the home minister, the central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration Will review the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra with top officials of the
He said Shah would also take stock of the plans being made to ensure complete security to the pilgrims. According to sources, intelligence has been received that Pakistan-based terrorist organizations may try to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra. In view of this, adequate security forces will be deployed on the yatra route.
He informed that all the stakeholders associated with this pilgrimage are likely to attend the review meeting. During this, various issues related to all the preparations being done for the yatra will be discussed.According to sources, there is heavy snow on both the routes leading to the Amarnath cave-Baltal and Pahalgam and the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been asked to clear the route till June 15. has been assigned the task of snow removal.
Last year 3.45 lakh devotees paid obeisance at Baba Barfani and this year the number is estimated to cross five lakh. Sources said that in view of the danger of any possible natural disaster, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has started identifying suitable places for the pilgrim camps. It may be noted that 16 pilgrims had died in flash floods near the holy cave last year due to heavy rains.
According to sources, an aerial survey by Indian Air Force helicopters is likely to be carried out to find out the glacial phenomena and formation of lakes in the upper part of the holy cave. Low-lying areas are more prone to flash floods due to glacial events and the formation of lakes.
Sources said aerial surveillance was conducted only after the flash floods in June last year, but this time the exercise will be carried out before the start of the yatra and at frequent intervals during the two-month pilgrimage. He said remote sensing and satellite An aerial survey may be carried out by a team having expertise in hydrology and disaster response. Sources said contingency measures will be taken along the entire pilgrimage route, especially the area near the Amarnath cave, if dangerous water accumulation is observed.
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