New Delhi: With the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine officially beginning on June 30, the administration has decided not to allow the movement of yatris and tourist vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar highway after 3:30 p.m. every day until the end of the yatra on August 11. As per security measures, no yatra -- registered or unregistered -- will be allowed to move beyond 3:30 p.m. on the highway from Ramban.
Any tourist, who is travelling and even if they have confirmed hotel bookings, will also be stopped after the cut off time due to security reasons.
Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohita Sharma said the police have set up a Naka at Chanderkot in order to stop pile-up of vehicles at Ramban and Navyug tunnel, adding all the yatris will be sent to the newly constructed Yatri Niwas after the cutoff time.
The local traffic, including trucks, buses and taxis, will not be stopped.
Earlier last month, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the security arrangements and preparations for the upcoming yatra.
The officers at a unified command meeting in Srinagar apprised the Lieutenant Governor of the overall security situation. They also briefed him on various arrangements related to Amarnath Yatra.
“All the work is to be completed within the set timeline and officials to ensure optimum use of technology to make the yatra safer and more convenient for the pilgrims,” the official statement by the Lieutenant Governor said, ANI reported.
Around three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in this year’s yatra, which will be the first since the former state was split into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- earlier in 2019.