Amarnath Yatra: Northern Command chief reviews security for pilgrimage

Northern Army chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday reviewed the security and operational preparedness of army and other security forces at Pahalgam and Baltal routes

Amid inputs of a possible terror strike by Pakistan-based terror groups to disrupt the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, the Northern Army chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday reviewed the security and operational preparedness of army and other security forces at Pahalgam and Baltal routes.

The Army Commander had a comprehensive briefing with all stakeholders including chief engineer Project BEACON. (ANI Photo)

The 62-day long pilgrimage begins July 1 and shall conclude on August 31. The cave shrine is nestled at height of 13,500 feet in south Kashmir Himalayas. “Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, ArmyCdrNC reviewed the security and operational preparedness for #Amarnathyatra2023 along the Northern and Southern Routes,” wrote Northern Command on its Twitter handle. “The Army Commander had a comprehensive briefing with all stakeholders including chief engineer Project BEACON, praising the “All Inclusive Approach” to synergise efforts. The review encompassed multi-tiered security measures, medical facilities, helipads, habitat construction, deployment of emergency rescue teams, and seamless communication network operationalised for successful conduct of Yatra-2023,” it added.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which largely shouldered the responsibility for regulating the pilgrimage has made elaborate arrangements in tandem with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force, SSB, CISF, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF and other sister agencies.For the first time the CRPF will deploy over 60 sniffer dogs on Jammu-Srinagar national highway with quick reaction teams and bomb disposal squad to keep a check on terror elements.

Commandant of the 137 battalion of the CRPF, Ramesh Kumar, said, “Intelligence inputs by sister agencies are being shared and we are holding joint meetings with them. The coordination among all the agencies is very good. There is no possibility of any attempt to disrupt the pilgrimage but in case there’s any attempt, it will be given befitting reply.”

Kumar informed that the equipped with latest weapons, CRPF companies were being deployed along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. “All the areas are being sanitized and sniffer dogs are with. Over 60 dogs are being deployed for the Yatra on Jammu-Srinagar national highway”, he added. Quick reaction teams comprising five to seven jawans of the CRPF shall dot the 278 km long highway to meet any contingency. A bomb disposal squad comprising 10 men will be part of the security grid on the highway. Like every year the convoy of the pilgrims will leave Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar here in Jammu amid CRPF’s security escort early every morning for the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir.

However, the convoy shall be released from Jammu only after getting a green signal from the road opening parties of the CRPF, who will first sanitise the highway including culverts and bridges to rule out any possibility of IEDs on the highway.

Intelligence sources confided to HT that Pak’s ISI has tasked Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen to disrupt the Hindu pilgrimage. The ministry of home affairs has decided to deploy over 60,000 security personnel from the paramilitary from Lakhanpur to the holy cave shrine.

A senior official said, “While CRPF, police and other paramilitary forces will guard the pilgrimage, upper reaches of the holy cave will be dominated by army commandos. 24X7 air surveillance and CCTV surveillance will also be part of the security grid.”