Amarnath route to have three-tier security this year

Arteev Sharma & Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, June 24

Three-tier security arrangements are being made for the 46-day annual Amarnath yatra scheduled to begin from the twin route — traditional Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal track in Ganderbal district — on July 1.

For registration to the Amarnath Yatra 2019 login to this website: http://www.shriamarnathjishrine.com

At least 30,000 additional troops armed with hi-tech surveillance equipment have been deployed in the Valley alone to ensure foolproof security for the yatra.

“Adequate security arrangements have been made and sufficient forces have been deployed,” said Special DG, CRPF (J&K), Zulfiqar Hassan.

Officials said more than 300 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces had been roped in, besides the deployment of other forces in Kashmir. The upper reaches along the yatra route had already been sanitised by the Army. The CRPF and other central forces would provide security cover to the pilgrims from Jammu to the base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal.

They said at the Jammu base camp, the authorities had deployed additional security personnel and installed more CCTV cameras.

“Three-tier security arrangements have been made in and around the base camp here. The number of CCTV cameras at the Yatri Niwas has been increased from 28 in 2018 to 44 this year to strengthen the security grid,” a senior official said.

Another official looking after security-related issues said there was no scope for complacency. They were not taking any chances and all agencies were working in close coordination. No other vehicle would be allowed to ply on the highway at the time of movement of convoys of pilgrims.

The authorities were making the use of advanced technology to ensure smooth conduct of the yatra. UAVs, CCTV cameras, barcode-enabled yatra slips and radio frequency identification tags would be used to track the yatra round the clock.