New Delhi, Aug 8: A parliamentary panel on Home Affairs has called for a comprehensive security overhaul across tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir, recommending round-the-clock surveillance, centralised monitoring and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent attacks and strengthen tourist confidence.

The recommendations assume significance a year after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 tourists and a pony operator were killed, exposing security vulnerabilities at one of J&K’s most popular tourist destinations.
The panel has recommended comprehensive CCTV coverage at major tourist locations, with footage linked to centralised monitoring systems for quicker detection of suspicious movement and faster response to emerging threats. It has also stressed the need for regular security audits and vulnerability assessments of tourist infrastructure.
According to the panel, security arrangements should not be limited to routine deployments. Authorities have been advised to undertake periodic threat assessments and review security requirements ahead of every major tourist season and religious Yatra.
The committee has also called for clearly defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) among police, security forces, intelligence agencies, civil administration and other stakeholders. Such coordination, it said, would eliminate gaps in responsibility and ensure a unified response during emergencies.
The recommendations seek to strike a balance between security and the seamless movement of tourists. With J&K witnessing renewed interest as a major tourism destination, strengthening security infrastructure is considered crucial to preventing disruptions and maintaining public confidence.
The panel also reviewed the security situation along the Drass-Kargil sector, stressing the need for stronger surveillance and modern technology in the strategically sensitive high-altitude areas.
It recommended deployment of counter-drone systems, secure communication networks and advanced high-altitude surveillance technologies to strengthen the monitoring of vulnerable stretches. Improved coordination between agencies operating along the border has also been emphasised.
Infrastructure received equal attention. The panel called for strengthening roads, tunnels, bridges and logistics facilities in border areas to ensure the rapid movement of security personnel, equipment and emergency supplies.
The recommendations come at a time when the security environment in J&K is increasingly intertwined with tourism and infrastructure development. Tourist destinations, pilgrimage routes and border areas require different security responses, but the panel has stressed that preparedness must remain continuous rather than reactive.
For J&K, the proposed measures could lead to a more technology-driven and coordinated security architecture, combining surveillance, intelligence, infrastructure and inter-agency preparedness.
The larger objective is to ensure that tourism and pilgrimage activities continue without disruption while providing visitors with a secure environment. Effective implementation, however, will depend on sustained coordination between the Centre, UT administration, police, security agencies and local stakeholders.