Amarnath Yatra to be restricted, only 500 pilgrims will be allowed daily

JAMMU: Pilgrims embarking on the Amarnath Yatra this year will have to undergo testing for Covid-19 in line with 100% RT-PCR test prescribed for all travelling to Jammu & Kashmir.
All entrants into J&K will have to be sampled, tested and quarantined till they are reported to be negative, said chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam, who was reviewing preparations for the Amarnath Yatra on Saturday at a meeting of the sub-committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
Social distancing norms would further strain these holding capacities so only 500 pilgrims will be allowed daily by road from Jammu. Therefore, arrangements will have to be limited to this number. “Keeping in view these circumstances, the yatra this year would have to be undertaken in a restricted manner so that the SoPs for Covid-19 are strictly adhered to during the conduct of the yatra,” the chief secretary said.
The daily aarti at Amarnath will be telecast live on Doordarshan and the chief secretary emphasised that adequate arrangements should be made to ensure its unhindered telecast.
The authorities, however, are concerned about the stress on the medical system because of the Amarnath Yatra. Nine of 10 Kashmir districts are red zones and the entire medical system is fully stretched in handling the challenge. Also, symptoms of Covid-19 and high altitude sickness are quite similar and all cases will have to be treated as deemed Covid-positive in case of an emergency. Drugs, consumable items, sleeping bags, PPE kits and masks were being provided to doctors and paramedical staff being deployed for the Yatra duty and two base hospitals are being set up along the Baltal route.
The chief secretary was briefed on improvement of the track from Baltal to Holy Cave at Kali Mata and emergency exit track from Sangam, construction of additional helipads at lower holy cave and construction of sanitization tunnels at Neelgrath helipad, Baltal and Domel. Subrahmanyam also reviewed the upgrade progress of the 1.25km-long road between Baltal base camp and Domel and the 95m-stretch between Neelgrath and Baltal.