Quadcopters, night vision devices among extra security facilities employed for Amarnath Yatra

Additional security facilities and focus on quick response in case of any natural calamity with quadcopters and night vision devices being used for surveillance are some of the steps taken by the authorities to ensure hassle free Amarnath Yatra this year.

The longest-ever Amarnath Yatra began on Saturday as the first batch of around eight thousand pilgrims had darshan at the 3,880 metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
In the next few weeks thousands of enthusiastic pilgrims, most of them walking on foot, will climb the mountains to have a glimpse of Lord Shiva at the cave shrine. The Radio

Frequency Identification (RFID) system introduced last year for pilgrims is in place to track their movement en route to ensure their well-being.

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“Additional facilities have been ensured this year for the smooth and peaceful Amarnath pilgrimage. We have used quadcopters and nigh vision devices for 24x7 surveillance enroute cave shrine. Apart from the army, Central forces and police have been deployed on higher reaches,” Commander of Army’s 1 sector Rashtriya Rifles Brigadier Amandeep Malhi, said.

He said mountain and avalanche rescue teams have been deployed to meet any eventuality. “This year, quick and effective response teams will ensure fast evacuation in case of any natural calamity,” Brigadier Amandeep Malhi said.

He added that this year army along with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), NDRF and SDRF conducted joint drills to ensure “timely response in case of any natural calamity.”

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On July 8, 2022 cloudburst hit the yatra campsite near the cave shrine killing 16 pilgrims. A cloudburst is an extreme amount of rain in a short period of time, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder, which is capable of creating flood conditions.

Keeping in view the last year’s natural calamity, earth moving equipment has already been placed at the forward areas. Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 4,903 pilgrims left the yatra base camp in Jammu on Sunday to join the annual pilgrimage, officials said.

Over 8,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine on the first day of the 62-day yatra which commenced from both the twin tracks - the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steep 14-km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district on Saturday.