Srinagar: In a first, vehicles have reached the Amarnath cave as the Border Roads Organisation has expanded road connectivity up to the cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said here on Monday.
The widening of the road from Dumail to the Amarnath cave via Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir has been completed, the officials said.
They said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel completed the formidable task and created history by expanding road connectivity up to the Amarnath cave shrine.
The first set of vehicles has also reached the shrine, the officials added.
The BRO was entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the twin tracks leading to the cave shrine last year.
The BRO’s ‘Project Beacon’ is involved in the restoration and improvement of Amarnath Yatra tracks.
Earlier, the J-K government’s Public Works Department (PWD) was maintaining the Baltal route in the Ganderbal district and the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) maintained the Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district.
The UT administration in September last year handed over the tracks to the BRO for maintenance and upgradation.
The BRO undertook the road widening project to ease the difficulties faced by the pilgrims who traditionally had to travel to the cave shrine on foot.
With the motorable road reaching the Amarnath cave shrine, the pilgrimage would become more accessible and comfortable for the devotees, the officials said.
