SRINAGAR : For medical emergencies and other air-lift needs, the Indian Army has set up helipads at several points along the Amarnath pilgrimage routes and created multi-tiered security procedures.Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, the commander of the Northern Army, reviewed the Amarnath Yatra preparations on Monday. The Amarnath Yatra will start on July 1 and last for two months. Two routes—the Southern Route through Baltal in Ganderbal and the Northern Route through Pahalgam in the Anantnag district—are used each year for the Yatra.The Army Commander examined the arrangements along both routes and received a briefing on the multi-tiered security measures, which included snipers, drone systems, bomb-disposal teams, dog teams, counter IED equipment, vehicle repair and recovery teams, to ensure smooth movement of convoys and coordination with the civil agencies being undertaken to make the Yatra incident-free. He was also shown the preparations undertaken by the High Altitude Warfare School teams, the Indian Air Force, and the Border Road Organisation (BRO). Army officials claim that the road section leading to the holy cave sanctuary is almost ready for the entrance of pilgrims.Army is setting up several medical detachments with specialised oxygen cylinder arrangements and control rooms at various locations along both routes for humanitarian aid that will be open 24 hours a day in collaboration with Civil Administration, NGOs, and other agencies. Several civil aviation organisations have been established to offer devotees air travel services. The Army has built helipads in a number of sites to accommodate various airlift needs and medical emergencies. In order to provide housing and comfort during the Holy Yatra, the Army has also created a number of Yatri camps with sufficient tentage facilities and specific winter gear arrangements.In order to alleviate any calamity, civil rescue personnel and avalanche rescue teams would also be deployed strategically the route, based on the lessons learned during the Cloud Burst during the Amarnath Yatra in 2022. Earthmovers will also be stationed at various points along the route in case of emergencies. On both routes, a seamless communication network is now functioning. Additionally, SFF detachments will be monitoring public safety. According to the defence spokesman, a “All-Inclusive Approach” has been used to coordinate the activities with all civil agencies. Joint training, joint operations, joint exercises, and simulated drills are being performed to guarantee the Yatra is completed successfully this year.The commander of the Northern Army complimented the hard work and cooperation among all the organisations. He praised them for their initiative and urged them to rise to the upcoming difficulties. In the meantime, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha convened a high-level meeting in Srinagar to assess the departments’ and organisations’ readiness for the Yatra. Shaleen Kabra, principal secretary of the Jal Shakti Department, Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, CEO of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, Lt. General Rajiv Ghai, GOC of the 15 Corps, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, divisional commissioner of Kashmir, senior SASB and BRO officials, and representatives of telecommunications service providers were present at the meeting. The Lt. Governor evaluated the BRO’s work upgrading the Yatra tracks, adding safety rails to all exposed areas, clearing snow, putting up army tents, and improving telecommunication connectivity. He gave the telecom companies instructions to improve network connectivity and expand capacity along the yatra route. The Irrigation and Flood Control department’s projects were also evaluated by the Lt. Governor. He gave the order to mobilise more resources and employ more people in order to complete all connected tasks well in advance of the start of the yatra.
