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Amarnath Yatra to begin from June 30, Covid-19 protocols to be in place
The pilgrimage will be held for 43 days between June 30 and August 11, when the festival of Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated. Online registration will begin on April 11.
The annual Amarnath Yatra will start on June 30, two years after it was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jammu & Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha announced on Sunday.
The pilgrimage will be held for 43 days between June 30 and August 11, when the festival of Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated. Online registration will begin on April 11.
Sinha’s announcement came after he chaired the 41st meeting of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board at Raj Bhavan in Jammu.
He asked officials to be proactive and ensure elaborate arrangements for a smooth pilgrimage as a large number of devotees are expected this year, according to officials familiar with the proceedings of the meeting. The government will introduce an RFID system for pilgrims to track their movement.
Nitishwar Kumar, chief executive of the shrine board, gave a brief overview of the route map of the pilgrimage and various services being made available en route and at the shrine, a J&K administration spokesperson said.
Kumar listed the various measures being undertaken for the yatra, including increased capacity for accommodation, augmented health facilities, upgraded tracks, telecommunication facilities and the helicopter services, among others, for the benefit of pilgrims and service providers.
Rahul Singh, additional chief executive of the shrine board, briefed the meeting about the activities and development work being carried out in connection with the pilgrimage.
The board has decided that the pilgrimage would start simultaneously from both the routes — the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. Only 10,000 pilgrims will be allowed in a day on each route, excluding those travelling by helicopter.
There will be a battery car service for pilgrims to the 2.75km stretch between Baltal and Domel.
There will be live telecast of morning and evening aarti (prayers) for devotees across the globe. An application has been made available on the Google play store to get real time information about the pilgrimage, weather and for availing several services online.
Sinha stressed on ensuring world-class sanitation arrangements on the routes and in transit camps.
Dilbag Singh, director general of police, briefed the shrine board on security arrangements. Besides mountain rescue teams, J&K police will install medical camps for the pilgrims, Singh said.
