New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said a multi-layered, impregnable security grid should be established by CAPFs, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and all security agencies along the Amarnath Yatra route and at tourist places to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage.
Chairing a meeting on the preparedness for the Yatra starting on July 3, Shah said the traditional security apparatus should be further strengthened through the extensive use of drones, CCTV monitoring, surveillance systems and other modern technologies.
The meeting was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Kumar Deka, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General GP Singh, besides other senior security and administrative officials.
The 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the Himalayas requires a massive security deployment, with the Central and Union Territory agencies working in close tandem.
Pilgrims will travel through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Shah directed that locals and animals associated with the pilgrimage should be registered.
Identity cards featuring QR codes should be issued, and proper arrangements should be made for everything from pilgrim registration to healthcare services, he said.
The home minister said senior officers from the various CAPFs and the Jammu and Kashmir Police should continuously monitor the arrangements at the camp sites during the pilgrimage.
Proper arrangements must be ensured for all essential facilities, including pilgrim registration, accommodation, health services, and disaster management, he said.
Arrangements for moving the batches of pilgrims forward will be made in accordance with weather conditions and forecasts, he said.
Robust security arrangements must also be ensured at major tourist destinations beyond the pilgrimage route, so that pilgrims can safely enjoy their visit, Shah said.
Meanwhile, the officials said the agencies are combining advanced surveillance technology, intelligence-led monitoring, and multi-agency coordination to ensure a completely secure environment for the devotees.
Earlier this week, Lieutenant Governor Sinha reviewed the preparations, directing departments and security agencies to ensure smooth arrangements covering infrastructure, security, healthcare, sanitation, connectivity and pilgrim services.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has also deployed sophisticated screening and anti-sabotage equipment.
These include portable RCIED jammers, deep search metal detectors, explosive and liquid explosive detectors, non-linear junction detectors (NLJDs), contraband busters, prodder vehicle search mirrors, optical fibrescopes, multi-type CCTV systems, XBIS, vehicle-mounted XBIS, multi-zone DFMDs (Fixed/multizone), HHMDs, search metal detectors, and other specialised equipment, they added.
Police have also launched the QR-based “Pahchan App”, designed to digitally verify workers and vendors operating along the yatra route.
Officials say the system will help prevent unverified individuals from infiltrating the pilgrimage ecosystem while improving accountability and crowd management.
Tenant verification drives, inspections of lodgement centres and intelligence-gathering operations have also been intensified.
The CRPF has also undertaken extensive reviews of operational preparedness.
CRPF DG Singh also visited the Valley and took stock of security arrangements along the route to Baltal and directed commanders to adopt proactive measures.
He reviewed security and logistical arrangements along the yatra route up to the Baltal base camp and emphasised the importance of maintaining a robust security grid through close coordination among all the stakeholders.
Singh said inter-agency coordination must be strengthened to ensure a safe and incident-free pilgrimage. (With inputs from PTI)
