Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, July 27: The annual Amarnath Yatra has crossed the 4.22 lakh pilgrim mark, with Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Ashul Garg, on Monday saying that over 4.22 lakh devotees had paid obeisance at the Holy Cave Shrine, while the pilgrimage continues through the Baltal route as restoration work on the Pahalgam track is underway.
Addressing reporters in Srinagar, Garg, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the pilgrimage is being conducted strictly in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), under which the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather advisories and the condition of the tracks are the primary factors considered before allowing the Yatra to proceed.
“The Yatra is allowed only after assessing the IMD weather advisory and the condition of the tracks. As witnessed over the past few days, the pilgrimage remained suspended due to adverse weather. Subsequent inspections revealed that repair work was required on the Pahalgam axis, which is presently being carried out by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO),” he said.
Garg said that despite the closure of the Pahalgam route, the Yatra has been running smoothly through the Baltal axis for the past two days.
“A total of over 4.22 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave Shrine today,” he said.
He credited the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage to the coordinated efforts of the Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs), health teams, sanitation staff, camp commanders, the district administration and other departments, saying all agencies have maintained constant supervision over the Yatra.
Referring to the IMD advisory forecasting adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall between July 28 and July 31, the Divisional Commissioner said review meetings are held every evening with all stakeholder departments, including the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, to assess the weather forecast and track conditions before deciding the next day’s movement of pilgrims.
“The competent authority of the Shrine Board is part of these meetings. A conscious decision is taken after reviewing the forecast and the condition of the track and accordingly the strategy for the following day is finalised,” he said.
On restoration of the Pahalgam route, Garg said the maintenance work is progressing, but its completion depends largely on the weather.
“If there is fresh rainfall in the coming days, the restoration work may take longer. The Pahalgam track is a long stretch, unlike the shorter Baltal route and a decision on reopening it will be taken only after the track is fully restored and declared fit for movement,” he said.
The Divisional Commissioner said there is no pilgrim currently stranded at the Nunwan base camp, as all yatris who were earlier halted there have already been facilitated for the pilgrimage.
“As of now, no pilgrim at Nunwan is awaiting the Yatra. All fresh convoys arriving from Jammu, including pilgrims reaching by train over the past two days, are being sent directly to the Baltal base camp under the advisory so that they do not face any inconvenience,” he said.
On the arrangements at Baltal, Garg said the administration had earlier enhanced the holding capacity of the base camp to accommodate around 40,000 to 45,000 pilgrims due to the influx of unregistered yatris.
“At present, the daily load at Baltal is around 15,000 to 20,000 pilgrims, which is only about 50 per cent of its capacity. We have also witnessed a slight decline in daily arrivals over the past few days. Therefore, the Baltal base camp is adequately equipped to handle all incoming pilgrims. If the inflow increases in the coming days, further decisions will be taken accordingly,” he added.—(KNO)
