Amarnath Yatra 2019 to be event-packed pilgrimage: Officials

JAMMU: There is a packed calendar for pilgrims in this year’s Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department has announced.
Briefing the media on the arrangements for the pilgrimage, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma also said that many engaging activities are scheduled during the Yatra period for visitors to the state.

He said that divisional and district administrations along with all departments concerned are geared up to ensure that everything is in place for the smooth stay of the pilgrims in the state.
Director, Tourism Jammu, O.P. Bhagat said that the department has made elaborate arrangements at the Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar here for smooth and fair conduct of this year’s yatra by providing infrastructural and allied facilities like medical aid, police control room, state roadways counter, banking facilities, an information and announcement booth, cloakrooms, bedding centres, langar, food court, cultural evenings, pre-paid Sim counters and so on.

“Besides, efforts are underway to ensure wide publicity to the pilgrimage of Shri Amarnathji Yatra-2019 in local and national newspapers along with displaying of welcome hoardings, information pamphlets and campaign through radio providing all relevant details on various other tourist destinations in the region,” he added.
Bhagat also said that this year, mobile bio-toilets are being installed en route from Jammu to Banihal and Jammu to Pir Ki Gali, though the Mughal Road will be used as an alternate route.

There will be ample langars all along the route according to past practice. Besides, buses for pilgrims shall be lined up separately for both Pahalgam and Baltal routes at Yatri Niwas, he said, adding that this has been done to avoid any chaos while looking for the buses for the route concerned by the pilgrims.
There shall be ample arrangements by the Song and Drama Division to entertain pilgrims during their stay at Yatri Niwas, Bhagat added.

The Commissioner also said that all the vehicles for pilgrims will be tagged which will help the authorities to trace them in case of any difficulty or deviation from their scheduled route, in order to ensure the safety of passengers.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra commences July 1.
The first batch of pilgrims will be flagged off from the Yatri Niwas June 30 by K.K. Sharma, an advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik. IANS