NGT raps Amarnath Board for lack of facilities provided to pilgrims

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday rapped the Amarnath Shrine Board for not providing proper infrastructural facilities to pilgrims travelling to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. The green panel took exception over noncompliance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2012 and asked the Board what steps they have taken in all these years.

"You have allowed shops on path near the shrine. There are no proper facilities for toilets. Do you even know how humiliating this is for women. Why have you not provided proper infrastructural facilities for pilgrims. You are giving priority to commercial activities over pilgrims. This is unfair. The sanctity of the shrine has to be maintained," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The Green Panel formed a committee of experts headed by additional secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to submit action plan on providing facilities to the pilgrims.

The bench said the committee shall submit report on aspects like providing a proper path and declaring the cave as silent zone while maintaining cleanliness near the shrine after inspection.

It also asked the Committee to consider installing ecofriendly toilets in the area.

The NGT also directed the board to submit a status report, by the first week of December, on the compliance of directions issued by SC in 2012.