This year’s Amarnath Yatra is expected to be twice in size than before, with the Jammu and Kashmir administration preparing to welcome about 8 lakh pilgrims to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said on Monday.
The arrangements for the yatra, to be held after a gap of two years, were discussed at a meeting here chaired by Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Apurva Chandra.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar, divisional commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir regions, and deputy commissioners, participated in the meeting.
Talking to reporters here, Chandra said the meeting was informed that this year’s Amarnath Yatra is expected to be the biggest and best ever.
“Expectations are that this year’s yatra will be twice the size than ever before. They expect about 6 lakh to 8 lakh yatris to visit the cave shrine,” the secretary said.
He said the arrangements put in place for the yatra will also be twice the size than the previous years.
“Be it drinking water, lodging or sanitation, the whole administration is equipped to welcome such a huge number of pilgrims,” he said.
Chandra also said that these measures taken by the Union Territory administration will be publicised in every state in different languages to attract the yatris.
“We have also suggested a one or two-minute short-film showcasing not only the yatra, but other things about Kashmir, which will be shown across theatres in the country,” he said.
When asked about the security measures, Chandra said all the arrangements will be done for the security of the yatris.
“The nation’s security agencies are on it. The security in Kashmir is good as can be seen by the huge number of tourist arrivals,” he said, adding that the security measures will be fool-proof.
Additional CEO of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Rahul Singh said RFID-based tracking and surveillance system will be implemented for the yatra.
“Once the yatris (pilgrims) enter Jammu and Kashmir, this system will be activated. This is for their safety,” he said.
He said a new ‘yatri niwas’ has been made in the Ramban district of Jammu region which can accommodate 3,000 pilgrims.
The insurance cover this year has been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, Singh said.
Asked about the environmental concerns of such a huge number of yatris, the SASB additional CEO said sanitation arrangements will be made not just in yatra area, but outside the yatra area as well and the environmental concerns will be completely taken care of.
The 43-day yatra will begin on June 30 and it will culminate on August 11. The registration can be done at over 450 bank branches. It can also be done through SASB’s mobile application.
The pilgrimage could not be organised in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the yatra was cut short days before August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the constitution.