JUNE 12: In a significant development, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also serves as the Chairman of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), became the first chairman in recent years to reach the Holy Cave via the Baltal route. The visit underlines the administration’s commitment to improving the safety and convenience of pilgrims ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra.
During the visit, LG Sinha conducted an extensive inspection of the maintenance, widening, and upgradation of the Yatra track. He took a first-hand review of the measures implemented by SASB in collaboration with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to ensure a safe, smooth, and spiritually enriching pilgrimage experience for devotees.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed his appreciation for the unprecedented infrastructure efforts undertaken by BRO and the Shrine Board. He emphasized that with the conclusion of the 2024 Yatra, the focus has shifted towards further enhancing the safety standards on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes for Yatra 2025.
A major announcement made by LG Sinha was the development of an alternate route from Chandanwari to Pissutop, which is set to be ready with safety hand railings and improved surfacing to support on-foot pilgrims. This move aims to better manage the foot traffic along the Chandanwari axis and reduce pressure on traditional paths.
On the Pahalgam route, vulnerable and high-risk stretches have already been equipped with safety hand railings, and several unstable sections along both tracks have been fortified using gabion walls, breast walls, interlocking concrete block fencing (ILC fence), and wire mesh installation. These steps are crucial to counter the risk of falling stones in dangerous sections like Railpathri-Brarimarg, Kalimata-Lower Cave, Panjtarni-Sangam-Holy Cave, and Chandanwari-Pissutop-Zozibal.
Furthermore, granular sub-base material has been applied to slippery stretches, and ILCB tiles have been laid on sections including Domail to Brari on Baltal route and Chandanwari to MG Top on Pahalgam route, ensuring a more secure path for devotees.
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