Drones, CRPF cover, anti-sabotage checks: How Amarnath Yatra 2025 is being secured

The first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims will leave Jammu base camp on July 2; the yatra officially begins July 3 via Baltal and Pahalgam routes in J&K.

As the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir is set to begin on July 3, security agencies including the J&K Police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other agencies have launched full-scale surveillance and verification operations. These preparations come as offline registrations are underway for devotees who have not registered through the online mode.

Jammu: Pilgrims wait to collect tokens for registration ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, at Saraswati Dham near the railway station, in Jammu, Monday, June 30, 2025. (PTI)

Large crowds of pilgrims were seen at special registration centres set up by the administration, as the registration process began on Monday.

The first batch of pilgrims will be flagged off from the Jammu base camp on July 2, while the yatra will commence officially the next day via the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.

How security is being ramped up | In 10 points

1. City-wide security and anti-sabotage checks: Jammu Police has set up several checkpoints across the city in coordination with paramilitary forces. These are part of daily anti-sabotage inspections as the yatra begins on July 3.
2. Yatra route and first batch of pilgrims: The pilgrimage will be held via two routes – the 48-km Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route. The first group of pilgrims will depart from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2.
3. 24/7 security checkpoints: A police spokesperson said, "In view of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu Police has significantly bolstered the security arrangements by establishing joint nakas at multiple strategic locations across the district." These will remain active 24x7 along highways, city outskirts, and near the base camp.
4. Deployment of multiple security forces: Personnel from CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and J&K Police are posted for intensive frisking, surveillance, and ID checks. The naka teams are directed to balance strictness with respect toward civilians and pilgrims.
5. Tech-based surveillance and hotel checks: Advanced tools like Facial Recognition Systems (FRS) are in use at crowded areas. Police are also conducting random checks at hotels, guesthouses, and lodgment centres, targeting suspicious movement.
6. Appeal for public support and vigilance: Pilgrims and citizens are asked to cooperate and carry valid ID. "Public support remains crucial in maintaining peace and order during the holy yatra," said the police spokesperson.
7. High-level security review of the route: SSP Jammu Joginder Singh, along with senior officers and SPG, reviewed the Nagrota–Saloora stretch on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Officers were briefed on SOPs and alerted to risks, especially in ongoing construction zones.
8. CRPF’s layered security on NH-44: CRPF has intensified patrolling, deployed K-9 squads, and focused on sensitive stretches like the Udhampur sector along the Jammu-Srinagar highway—one of the key yatra routes.
9. Mock drill for landslide response readiness: A joint landslide drill by the Army, CRPF, J&K Police, and Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Response Force (JKSDRF) was held at Samroli to simulate disaster response. A mock victim was rescued, treated, and taken to hospital, demonstrating real-time coordination.
10. Final trial at base camp to test arrangements: At Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu, a trial bus run was conducted with full security to test on-ground readiness. Deputy SP Prehlad Kumar said, “The exercise reaffirms the administration's commitment to a safe and smooth Amarnath Yatra 2025.”

(With ANI, PTI inputs)