Omar conducts aerial survey of Amarnath Yatra route

Srinagar Jun 10: Ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today conducted an aerial survey of the track between Pahalgam and the cave shrine to ensure the security and safety of pilgrims.
Concerned about the security and safety of the pilgrims due to severe weather conditions for the past few days, the Chief Minister conducted an aerial survey of the track leading to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine, a government spokesman said.
Omar had a brief halt at the Base Camp at Pahalgam, where he was briefed on the arrangements being made for the Yatra by Chief Executive Officer of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) B B Vyas.
Meanwhile, with the improvement in weather conditions, the restoration works and track clearance on both the routes to the Amarnath shrine have been resumed on war footing, the spokesman said.
Over two hundred labourers are engaged on preparing a by-pass track over the avalanche hit Mahagunas-Sheshnag sector, he said.
Vyas told Omar that the Shrine Board has raised eight prefabricated huts and 50 toilets near the cave besides five huts and 20 toilets at Panchtarni.
While a limited number of langars has started operating, arrangements are under way for setting up of tents and shops so as to make the Base Camps fully functional in the next few days.