The Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued an advisory for pilgrims ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, asking them to avoid independent travel.
In a small advisory issued hours before an encounter broke out in Udhampur, the Jammu and Kashmir Police listed two things - avoid independent travel, travel in escorted convoys.
The advisory also holds significance in light of recent joint Army-police operation in Udhampur, condenamed Operation Bihali. Security forces were engaged in an encounter with terrorists in the Kuru area of Basantgarh in Udhampur.
The 38-day-long yatra to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath will start on July 3 and end on August 9.
The journey can be taken using two routes -- longer and shorter (but steeper). The 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal are the two routes to the shrine.
Numerous devotees are expected to take on the yatra, and the first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the yatra begins.
Mock drills were conducted in Udhampur on Wednesday to prepare for any emergencies. The 13th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), is stationed in Udhampur.
{{/usCountry}}Mock drills were conducted in Udhampur on Wednesday to prepare for any emergencies. The 13th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), is stationed in Udhampur.
{{/usCountry}}"All arrangements have been put in place. The Udhampur district houses 26 lodgement centres with a capacity to accommodate 6,500 pilgrims. We have established centres to house pilgrims in case of any weather-related or other emergencies," Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Saloni Rai was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
She also inspected the lodgement centres and facilities for pilgrims.
(With PTI inputs)