Amarnath Yatra: 46-day-long pilgrimage begins amid tight security

The first batch of the pilgrims left for the Amarnath cave shrine from the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps on Monday, July 1. With over 1.6 lakh people registering for the yatra, spanning 46 days, more than 40,000 security personnel have been deployed for the pilgrimage season.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also increased the number of its counter-IED teams that will sweep roads and vehicles, that will sweep the roads and vehicles.

No civilian traffic would be allowed on Kashmir highway for the next 46 days between 10 am to 3 pm from Qazigund to Nashri for the safety of Amarnath Yatra.

Flagging off the first batch of pilgrims after performing a puja at Jammu on Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik's advisor KK Sharma said that all arrangements, including adequate security, have been made for the pilgrimage.

"On behalf of the government, we went to Pahalgam and Baltal yesterday, all arrangements for the well-being of the devotees have been made all through the route between Jammu and Srinagar," Sharma told reporters.

Reviewing the security arrangements on Sunday, Governor Malik lauded the people of Kashmir for their support to conduct a peaceful yatra.

"The security for the yatra is our responsibility and we are taking care of it. But police or Army do not conduct the yatra. For many years, the Amarnath Yatra is being conducted by the people of Kashmir, especially our Muslim brothers. The yatra takes place with their support," he told reporters in Srinagar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also reviewed the security arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week.

In 2017, eight pilgrims were killed and several injured after terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims in Anantnag. Last year the pilgrimage season went off peacefully.