Navratri: Vande Bharat train to reach Katra today

JAMMU: Ahead of the Navratri festival which begins this Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has mobilised its resources to ensure strict adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines. Also, foolproof security is in place at Katra and Vaishno Devi shrine.

Reasi district police chief, SSP Rashmi Wazir, said, “We have deployed five quick reaction teams in Katra and three in the Bhawan (sanctum sanctorum). Eight police checkposts are setup along the tracks leading up to the cave shrine and roundthe-clock patrolling will be done during the festival.”

She added that armed security personnel, policemen and CRPF personnel will guard the pilgrimage 24x7.

“We are confident of an incident-free Navratri festival,” she said. Wazir said UdhampurReasi range deputy inspector general of police, Sujit Kumar, reviewed the arrangements for the ensuing festival in Katra on Tuesday.

“The cap on per day pilgrims to the shrine has been increased to 7,000 from 5,000. The first Vande Bharat train will reach Katra at 2pm on Thursday. During the festival, two special trains, apart from Vande Bharat, will also run from Banaras and Delhi,” she added. The health department has also augmented its infrastructure setting up more testing kiosks and staff in Katra, including the railway station. Every pilgrim arriving in Katra will have to undergo rapid antigen test before being allowed to proceed on the pilgrimage. In case anyone is tested positive, they will have to remain in quarantine in Katra for 10 days. The administration is giving another option for those who test positive. If they don’t want to be quarantined, they can avail cabs to return home by road.