Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 6: Deployment of Army, para-military forces and police on both tracks of Pahalgam and Baltal for holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath ji will start on June 15 with the arrival of additional para-military forces from the Centre. Entire induction process will be completed in five days.
“As a pre-requisite for induction of forces and sanitization of tracks, the mobile telephone connectivity was today made functional along Pahalgam track,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
They said the clearance of snow from the tracks was likely to take some more time due to fresh light snowfall on the hills and delay in clearance operations but it will be done well in time for induction of the forces. As Baltal track in Ganderbal district is far shorter than Pahalgam track in Anantnag district, the security forces would be inducted first in traditional track of Chandanwari.
“The additional Central forces would soon start reaching in Jammu and Kashmir and they will be inducted along with existing para-military forces, troops and police on both the tracks of Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas. The forces would sanitize the tracks before taking positions,’’ sources said.
DIG South Kashmir Nitish Kumar, who is supervising induction operations along traditional Chandanwari track, said the process would pick up on June 15 and “we are hopeful that the induction process will be over in five days’’. While track has already been cleared up to Chandanwari and police posts stationed there, the mobile connectivity was also made functional on the track today with BSNL tower starting its operations.
Kumar said the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) was conducting snow clearance operations on the track from Chandanwari to Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine but the work has slightly been hampered due to moderate snowfall recently.
According to sources, there has been delay in melting of snow this year due to continuous rains in the upper reaches and no bright sunshine. The sunshine also leads to melting of snow to quite an extent but that has not happened this time.
Sources said Army would be deployed at the heights of Amarnath ji cave shrine while para-military forces (both additional and existing) along with police personnel, who were being mobilized from all across the State, will be deployed on both the tracks—Baltal and Pahalgam apart from Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot National Highways.
“The deployment process was completely ready. It will be in place around June 20 well ahead of the start of Shri Amarnath ji yatra on July 2,’’ they said. The pilgrimage this year will last 59 days and conclude on August 29 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Authorities have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the yatra starts only on time and the people are not allowed to reach the cave shrine before the official beginning of pilgrimage. Special nakas would be deployed by police to stop influx of yatris before start of the pilgrimage.
According to sources, security forces will sanitize both the tracks before start of the pilgrimage.
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