Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday said foolproof security arrangements put in place for the forthcoming Amarnath yatra and asserted that there has been a drop of over 10 per cent in pilgrim registration for Amarnath Yatra after April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“The pilgrim registration before the April 22 incident was going on at a good pace but after registrations decreased. There was a drop of 10.19 per cent in registration compared to last year,” Sinha told reporters here.
According to LG, about 2.36 lakh pilgrims had registered for the yatra before the attack took place at Baisaran in Pahalgam area that left 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed.
“The confidence among the pilgrims is returning due to steps taken by the administration and security forces,” he said.
Sinha said Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has launched a process of seeking re-verification from pilgrims who had registered for the yatra before April 22.
“So far, 85000 pilgrims have reconfirmed their registration. We are hoping that the registrations will pick up in the coming days,” he said.
Asked if terror attack had affected the Amarnath Yatra this year, Sinha said it had affected the entire Jammu and Kashmir, especially the valley.
The LG said foolproof and adequate security arrangements have been put in place for pilgrimage, which will start from July 3.
“There is a three tier security at the base camps while security forces are carrying out area domination and mock drills to meet any eventuality. More police officials and CAPF personnel have been deployed while verification of all service providers has been completed,” he said.
The LG said he wanted to assure everyone that good security arrangements have been made not only for pilgrims and tourists visiting Kashmir but the local populace as well.
Sinha said while the pilgrims are welcome to travel by their private vehicles, they are requested to move along with the yatra convoy from Bhagwati Nagar base camp for better security.
He said for comfort of the pilgrims, various steps have been taken over the past three years which includes widening of the track from four feet to 12 feet.
“The vulnerable spots have been secured by barriers. The narrow tracks were a major cause of discomfort for the pilgrims,” he said.
The LG said the track is now motorable, right up to holy cave, but it would be used only in cases of emergency.
“The pilgrimage will go on as usual as in the past,” he said.
On the suspension of helis ervices during the Amarnath yatra this year, Sinha said decision was taken in view of various factors including the recent mishaps in other states and security concerns.
“Moreover, only eight per cent pilgrims were using helicopter services for darshan,” he said.