Jammu base camp gets 3-tier security ahead of annual Amarnath Yatra

A three-tier security system has been put in place in and around for the Amarnath base camp in Jammu under the charge of Jammu and Kashmir Police's security wing.

Forces have carried out search and sanitisation operations to ensure a safe commencement of the annual yatra from 28 June in Jammu.

The 52-day pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres, will commence from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-kilometre shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal -- on 29 June.

"Adequate security arrangements have been made for the yatra. Three-tier security measures have been put in place for the base camp in the Bhagwati Nagar area in Jammu," Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Vinod Kumar said.

The SSP said that lodgment and registration centres in Jammu City are also under strict security.

Police have also secured the highway through which the yatra will pass every day.

"Security arrangements and area dominations have been enforced on the highway, and all points from borders have been plugged," the office said.

"Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) have been activated, high-rise buildings dominated, and the security machinery is in law and order mode. All measures are in place for an incident-free yatra," he said.

Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu serves as the primary base camp for pilgrims nationwide before they proceed to the cave shrine of Amarnath in the Himalayas of south Kashmir.

The yatra will be carried out on the 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in the Ganderbal district.

As part of the security measures, the security wing has assumed control of the area and barred public access.

"Body scanners and CCTV cameras, including large 360-degree cameras, have been installed to monitor the camp and its surroundings round-the-clock," officials said.

Several companies of the paramilitary are being deployed for security, they said.