Srinagar: The Central government is planning to deploy around 12,000 paramilitary troops, hundreds of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel, and drone cameras to guard the Amarnath Yatra this year. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed the security preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra with top officials of paramilitary forces and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m, about 141 km from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and reached through Pahalgam town. The shrine represents an important part of Hinduism.
The Amarnath Yatra is for a specific period and is announced each year. It usually begins on the auspicious day of Skandshasthi (as per the Hindu calendar) in July and ends on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) in August. So, the best time to visit Amarnath in July-August.
The Amarnath yatra could not be carried out in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while it was cut short in 2019 just before the abrogation of Article 370. The pilgrimage will be a big security challenge for the government as Jammu and Kashmir have been witnessing a number of targeted killings by terrorists in recent weeks.
Drone cameras will hover over the pilgrim routes to help the security forces ensure the protection of pilgrims. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags will also be given to the pilgrims.
(Smit Soni)
