Chief Secretary reviews facilities and security for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra
SRINAGAR, July 9, 2026Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the arrangements for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026. He issued directives to further strengthen facilities and services for pilgrims to ensure a safe, smooth, and hassle-free annual pilgrimage.
The meeting was attended by senior officers from the civil administration, the shrine board, and security forces, including administrative secretaries, senior police officials, CAPFs, and BRO personnel, alongside the divisional commissioner of Kashmir and deputy commissioners of Anantnag and Ganderbal.Reviewing the progress of the pilgrimage, the Chief Secretary noted the extensive arrangements made to handle the unprecedented turnout of devotees this year.
The participants discussed detailed recommendations presented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, Mandeep K. Bhandari, which were based on ground reports from various committees. The discussions centered on implementing additional measures to make the pilgrimage infrastructure more robust, reliable, and responsive to the needs of the pilgrims.The evaluation covered infrastructure and public amenities at yatra camps, langars, and along both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
Key recommendations include completely tiling the pilgrimage track up to the holy cave shrine to enhance safety, widening narrow stretches and bridges to prevent overcrowding, and constructing retaining walls in landslide-prone areas. Additionally, the plan involves increasing the number of rain shelters, installing iron barricades for better queue management, and ensuring the availability of palkis and stretchers for medical emergencies.
Public amenities across the camps and holding areas were also reviewed, focusing on toilet and bathing facilities, clean drinking water supply, waste management, and medical services. The meeting highlighted the need for more digital display boards for advisories, stronger firefighting infrastructure, and enhanced disaster preparedness. Divisional and district heads provided ground updates and progress reports regarding these implementations.Emphasizing continuous monitoring, the Chief Secretary directed line departments to form dedicated audit teams for regular inspections along both routes of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. He instructed these teams to identify and immediately rectify any deficiencies. Stressing seamless coordination among all stakeholder agencies, he stated that there is no room for delays or complacency, reiterating that the safety and convenience of every pilgrim remain the top priority of the administration.