Srinagar, June 12 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review security arrangements and operational preparedness for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.

The meeting was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Singh, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director-General, G.P. Singh, besides other senior security and administrative officials.

The Amarnath Yatra begins this year on July 3 and will end after 57 days on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.

The Yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine situated at 3880 metres above the sea level requires a massive security deployment, with the Central and Union Territory administrations working in close coordination.

Security agencies are combining advanced surveillance technology, intelligence-led monitoring, and multi-agency coordination to ensure a completely secure environment for the devotees.

The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

Yatris reach the cave shrine either through the longer traditional 48 km route through Pahalgam base camp in Anantnag district or the shorter 14 km route through the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district.

Earlier this week, L-G Sinha reviewed the preparations, directing departments and security agencies to ensure smooth arrangements covering infrastructure, security, healthcare, sanitation, connectivity and pilgrim services.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have also deployed sophisticated screening and anti-sabotage equipment. These include portable RCIED jammers, deep search metal detectors, explosive and liquid explosive detectors, non-linear junction detectors (NLJDs), contraband busters, prodder vehicle search mirrors, optical fibrescopes, multi-type CCTV systems, XBIS, vehicle-mounted XBIS, multi-zone DFMDs (Fixed/multizone), HHMDs, search metal detectors, and other specialised equipment, IGP Security Sujit Kumar told reporters.

Police have also launched the QR-based “Pahchan App”, designed to digitally verify workers and vendors operating along the yatra route.

Officials said the system will help prevent unverified individuals from infiltrating the pilgrimage ecosystem while improving accountability and crowd management. Tenant verification drives, inspections of lodgement centres and intelligence-gathering operations have also been intensified.

The CRPF, which plays a pivotal role in securing the pilgrimage, has undertaken extensive reviews of operational preparedness.

CRPF Director General G.P. Singh also visited the Valley and took stock of security arrangements along the route to Baltal, directing commanders to adopt proactive measures.

He reviewed security and logistical arrangements along the yatra route up to the Baltal base camp and emphasised the importance of maintaining a robust security grid through close coordination among all the stakeholders.

In addition to security agencies, local Muslims lend a very helpful hand to the successful and peaceful conduct of the Yatra. Traditionally, local Muslims work as guides, porters, ponywallahs and small makeshift shopkeepers to help the pilgrims.

–IANS

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