Ensure Better Yatra

The annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine in Kashmir, cancelled by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years, is set to resume this year.

The yatra to the 3,880-metre-high cave located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas is scheduled to begin on June 30 and culminate on August 11.

The pilgrimage had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, the yatra was cut short as the government emptied the Valley of pilgrims and tourists before revocation of Article 370 on August 5 amid security and communication clampdown.

Besides security arrangements, the government, on a daily basis, has been announcing one after other arrangements for smooth conduct of the pilgrimage. It has augmented the health infrastructure to meet any exigency. For example, at Baltal base camp, a 70-bed fully-equipped DRDO hospital had been set up for quality healthcare services to the pilgrims.

The hospital will have X-ray and ultrasound facilities, general and oxygenated wards, OPD, ICU, pharmacy and a laboratory.

The health department of J&K also has made special arrangements for providing healthcare facilities to the pilgrims and among others it has stationed 109 Basic Life Support ambulances and 26 Advance Life Support critical care ambulances at 55 locations en route Baltal and Chandanwari routes from Qazigund for the pilgrims. While the government is duty bound to ensure all facilities to the pilgrims, it is incumbent upon it also to ensure that environmental concerns are taken care of in a scientific manner. Also there is rise in covid-19 cases and as such testing should be made mandatory and ensured religiously to avoid any harm to fellow pilgrims as well as locals.

While the SASB is making better arrangements along with the local administration on various counts for the pilgrims intending to undertake the pilgrimage, it has also made a provision of online darshan for those who cannot physically undertake the yatra.

In this context, the SASB should ensure live-streaming sans interruptions of the programs announced by it on the Board’s official website and the app specifically dedicated for the devotees.

It is imperative that the decisions concerning wellbeing of the pilgrims as well as those taken to address environmental concerns are adhered in letter and spirit and must not be restricted to papers only.

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