QR codes for animals, multi-layered grid: Amit Shah orders hi-tech security for Amarnath Yatra
Pilgrims travel through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewing the security arrangements for Amarnath pilgrimage with officials of Central agencies on Friday.(Express/Sourced)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday directed the security agencies to establish a multi-layered security grid along the Amarnath yatra route while ensuring adequate facilities for pilgrims.
Chairing a meeting on the preparedness for the Yatra starting on July 3, Shah said the Centre was committed to ensuring the highest level of security and a smooth pilgrimage.
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The Amarnath Yatra is one of the country’s one of the most significant annual pilgrimages, drawing lakhs of devotees each year. The 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the Himalayas requires a massive security deployment, with the Central and Union Territory agencies working in close tandem.
Pilgrims travel through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
During the meeting, Shah also asked the CAPFs, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies that they should work in close coordination to put in place a foolproof security system.
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Shah also called for the extensive use of drones, CCTV cameras, surveillance systems and other modern technologies to strengthen arrangements.
He also directed that senior officers of various CAPFs and the Jammu and Kashmir Police remain deployed at camp sites to continuously oversee the situation during the yatra.
Shah also reviewed preparedness related to registration, accommodation, health services and disaster management, and said all essential services for pilgrims must be ensured.
Shah further asked officials to register local persons and animals associated with the yatra, issue them QR code-based identity cards, and organise camps for the health screening of animals.
Movement of pilgrim batches, he said, should be regulated strictly in line with weather conditions and forecasts.
He also directed that security should also be strengthened at key tourist locations, so that pilgrims visiting other places in the Union Territory can travel safely.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewing the security arrangements for Amarnath pilgrimage with officials of Central agencies on Friday.(Express/Sourced) 
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