Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 20

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Saturday conducted a high-level review of security preparations for the annual Amarnath Yatra, less than two weeks before the yatra is scheduled to begin, with officials reporting that deployment of forces and route sanitisation had largely been completed.

The review meeting, held at the Police Headquarters in Srinagar, focused on security deployment, intelligence coordination, emergency response capabilities and logistical preparedness for the 57-day pilgrimage, which is set to commence on July 3 and conclude on August 28.

The meeting followed a similar review chaired earlier this month by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Senior officials informed Mohan that a multi-layered security grid had been established along both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes and that sensitive areas had undergone extensive sanitisation operations.

Participants included Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, senior Army commanders and heads of central armed police forces.

Officials briefed the meeting on the deployment of surveillance technologies including RFID tracking systems, drones and facial-recognition tools.

Authorities have also declared the yatra area a no-flying zone from July 1.

The review covered medical preparedness, disaster management, traffic regulation and weather-related contingencies. Officials said mock drills, area domination exercises, verification of service providers and coordination mechanisms with local communities had been completed.

Mohan directed all agencies to maintain a high state of readiness throughout the pilgrimage period and emphasised the need for seamless coordination among security and civil authorities.

The annual yatra to the Amarnath cave shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees from across India and remains one of the largest religious gatherings in the Himalayan region.