Jammu, Aug 11: Barring inclement weather killing over a dozen pilgrims in flash-floods triggered by a cloudburst last month, the annual Amarnath Yatra passed off peacefully, though only over 3 lakh visited the Holy Cave against the expected six to eight lakh pilgrims this year.
The authorities are breathing easy as massive security arrangements apparently helped avert any militant strike on pilgrims.
The yatra was held amid unusually “higher threat perception” to the pilgrims following a spate of targeted militant killings since April that left a dozen daed, including members of the minority Hindu community in the Valley.
The “Chhari Mubarak” Silver mace reached the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in Kashmir Himalayas for final pooja, coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan, marking the formal end of this year’s Amarnath Yatra on Thursday.
The 43-day-long annual Amarnath Yatra commenced physically from June 30 after two years of Covid-19 restrictions.
On July 8, a cloudburst struck near the cave shrine causing flash floods at tented accommodation of pilgrims killing 15 yatris and injuring 55 others besides washing away a major portion of the track.
It was a hectic time for the security forces and other agencies that launched a massive rescue operation and built alternative routes working day and night for several days to make the yatra resume smoothly.
The authorities had to suspend the yatra for three days from the shortest route Baltal and for four days from the traditional Pahalgam route after the cloudburst.
Following the incident, the authorities took all precautionary measures and yatris were not allowed to move whenever the erratic weather struck. There was little respite from rain for many days. As many as 47 pilgrims 14 from shortest route of Baltal and 33 from traditional Pahalgam route also died of different ailments and cardiac arrest caused due to high altitude climate conditions during the 43-day-long pilgrimage.
Thirty-seven Amarnath Yatra pilgrims including five women were injured in a road accident at Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu National highway on July 14.
The local people helped security forces in shifting the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment, depicting the humanity and hospitality of the people of Kashmir. Of the 3, 03,502 yatris who visited the cave, 32,892 in 5,902 sorties were taken to the Himalayan shrine from the Baltal route in Ganderbal district by helicopters.
The services were also made available from the traditional Pahalgam route. For the first time the yatra went Hi-tech with Arbiter Technology Cards or “Searching Bands” to the pilgrims this year.
The Yatris with these “Searching Bands” which were linked with the Aadhar card helped them to remain in touch with their group even if one lost track during the trekking on the high ridges.
This year keeping in view the militants threats, unprecedented security arrangements were put in place on Jammu-Srinagar national highway from Jagti Mandi yatra camp in Jammu upto Pahalgam in South Kashmir and Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
All routes leading to the cave were plugged by the heavy contingents of security forces including Army, BSF, CRPF, J&K Police and other agencies.

JAMMU, August 11: The Indian Army on Thursday foiled a suicide attack on an Indian Army base here in which both the terrorists were killed while three Army troops lost their lives.
One officer and two jawans are also injured in the attack and have been shifted to medical facilities for further treatment, Army officials said here.
“In a terrorist attack 25 km from Rajouri, two terrorists carried out a suicide attack on an Army company operating base. Both terrorists have been killed while three own troops have lost their lives. Operations in progress,” Indian Army officials said.
“One Officer along with two other jawans is injured in the terrorist attack and has been rushed for medical treatment,” the sources said.
16 Corps Commander Lt Gen Manjinder Singh is constantly monitoring the situation on the ground. The area is being sanitised, they added.
The suicide attack on the company operating base of a Rashtriya Rifles unit in Pargal located in Darhal area of Rajouri, looks like an attempt to carry out an Uri-like attack where terrorists had infiltrated in the Army camp and killed 19 soldiers.
The attempt to infiltrate the Army camp took place days ahead of the 75th Independence Day celebration in the country.
Notably, the attack comes a day after three LeT terrorists were neutralised by security forces in Budgam. One of the killed terrorists was involved in the killing of civilians Rahul Bhat and Amreen Bhat.
“All the three hiding LeT terrorists neutralised. Bodies being retrieved from the site, identification is yet to be ascertained. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition were recovered. A big success for us,” said a tweet by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir.

Jammu, Aug 11: Incessant rain lashed Jammu division on Thursday as the Meteorological (MeT) department forecast heavy downpour in the region and light/moderate rain in Kashmir division during the next 24 hours.

“Heavy rain lashed Jammu during the last 24 hours. Heavy rain in Jammu division and light to moderate rain in Kashmir division is likely during the next 24 hours,” an official of the MeT department said.

Nikhil Padha, Activist and President of Jammu & Kashmir Tourist Trade People’s Federation, attended the meeting by the Central Provident Fund Officer, Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday, 10th August 2020. He presented a representation to the CPFO in order to bring to his notice, the condition of the daily wage labor class in Jammu and Kashmir. The JKTTPF team, consisting of Shri Mahesh Chander, Kuldeep, Goverdhan raised extremely important points regarding the violation of the rights of the working class, especially during the COVID periods where they suffered from hunger and poverty and the administration did not cater to their rights. Lavanya Bhatt (Joint Secretary) expressed concerns in the representation regarding the poor and harsh working conditions, and long working hours, all due to the inhuman attitudes of the administrative establishments. Altogether, Team JKTTPF, along with the President, demanded the laws to be inclined towards the betterment and welfare of the working and labor classes.
When the demands were not heard judicially, the team representing around 150 laborers, boycotted the meeting within 10 minutes of discussion. Team JKTTPF stands against this injustice and will not stop till every worker who worked their socks off and begged the officials outside their offices gets justice. It was also demanded that the officers take proper training at the Judicial Training Academy since it has been observed that they are not very efficient with the execution of judicial cases. Numerous RTIs have been filed with these demands. Therefore, JKTTPF vowed to have another discussion with the administration only when the long-pending grievances of the labor class were taken into consideration.