Srinagar-Qazigund Highway a safer passage to Amarnath Yatris, claims govt, security agencies

SRINAGAR: As the Kashmir Valley is bracing to welcome the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the new Srinagar-Qazigund Highway has come up as a major relief for the government and the security agencies-with both claiming the a safer passage to the Yatris through the road.

The new 65-km long highway which begins at Nowgam in Srinagar to Wanpoh in Qazigund will be a safer route for the yatris and will cut all the dangerous points that existed on old highway.

The old highway which snaked through the volatile towns of Bijbehara, Awantipora and Khanabal was vulnerable to terror attacks as the last year's deadly attack on yatris took place in Bijbehara town in restive Anantnag. Last year, eight yatris were killed and 18 others injured when terrorists attacked a yatri vehicle in Bijbehara area.

Every year lakhs of yatris visit the Amarnath cave located in the hills of Pahalgam in Chadanwari. Pilgrims take two routes- one via Pahalgam in Anantnag district and another through Baltal in Sonamarg in Ganderbal district.

The highway stretch in south Kashmir districts-Pulwama and Anantnag- were more vulnerable to attacks as terrorists' number and presence is high in the area than in Srinagar and Ganderbal routes, which are more secure.

The new highway though passes through the same districts but zig-zags through paddy fields and avoids townships and villages in south Kashmir's Pulwama and Anantnag districts. It provides smooth space for the security forces to secure it as human habitation is cut off from the new highway.

The 60-day long Yatra will begin from June 28 till August 26.

CRPF spokesman, Srinagar, Sanjay Sharma, said that the new highway will give a "safer passage" to the Yatris compared to the old highway.

"We have taken up the additional security measures also to give a safer passage to the Yatra. We have taken all the precautionary measures and additional deployment keeping in view the threat levels," Sharma told The News Now.

Besides, the existing forces deployed for the safety of the yatris, the government will also deploy additional 22,000 forces along the route south to north. CRPF, ITBP, SSB and the Army would be deployed enroute to tackle and avoid attacks.

The government, officials sources said, has prepared a detailed security report mapping the whole Yatra route and identified flash points for adequate deployment of armed forces.

Official sources told The News Now that the police and security forces have together identified the spots which seem vulnerable to terror attacks.

"Extra deployment will be put at these spots for safety and security of the yatris," Sharma added.

Sources said that yatris have been directed by the Amarnath Shrine Board to use and board only registered vehicles.

"The vehicles will be tagged and they will follow a travel plan which is devised by the government in consultation with police, paramilitary and army forces and the Shrine Board. Also, technical surveillance by CCTV and drone cameras will be available for the Yatra route," officials sources said.

The officials said that the frequent traffic jams on the old highway due to the Yatra will be a passé as the new highway is four-laned to accommodate even heavy flow of traffic.