Enhanced Security and Facilities at Amarnath Pilgrimage Base Camp

An official announced on Monday that nearly 29 CCTV cameras will be installed in and around the main base camp for Amarnath pilgrims in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar serves as the main base camp for pilgrims from across the country before they leave for Kashmir to pay obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath. The pilgrimage is scheduled to commence from the twin tracks on July 1. According to officials, the Yatri Niwas will have nearly 29 CCTV cameras installed in and around the area, including two big 360-degree cameras. These cameras will monitor the entire area round the clock through an electronic eye, and four body scanners will also be deployed at the site. The Yatri Niwas based at Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar area will also have closed-circuit fire hydrant systems in all the buildings and setups of the base camp, as well as an air-conditioned community kitchen hall for the first time. Repair, renovation, and face-lifting work is also going on at a fast pace to ensure that the basecamp is ready before June 20. An officer told PTI, “The work on the repair and renovation of the Yatri Niwas is going smoothly and the face-lifting is progressing quickly. We expect that Yatri Niwas will be ready by June 20.” He also mentioned that facilities have been further improved with the introduction of closed-circuit fire hydrants and air-conditioned eating halls. “We have installed six ACs each to make two eating halls fully air-conditioned so that pilgrims get better facilities,” he said. The first batch of pilgrims is expected to leave the Jammu base camp one day prior to the start of the yatra on July 1.