RFID tags to be compulsory for Amarnath Yatra pilgrims
RFID tags are set to be mandatory again this year for all pilgrims on the Amarnath Yatra, officials aware of the mater said, as security agencies have started preparations to ensure a safe pilgrimage to the shrine that opens for devotees between June and August.
The authorities first tested RFID tags in 2019 to track the movement of some pilgrims, and made it mandatory in 2022. The yatra could not be organised in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19.
Security agencies have also proposed to use more CCTV cameras on highways on sensitive areas and to increase security at
the rest stops along the journey, officials aware of the discussions said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF )will send a team of over 200 trained mountain rescue experts to handle any natural disasters, and a separate women’s contingent of the response force will also be posted, one of its officers added.
At least 16 people died after a cloudburst triggered flash flood near the cave shrine of Amarnath on July 8 last year. NDRF rescued five pilgrims who were swept away by the flashflood. This year, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board officials will work with NDRF in identifying places and ensuring that no utilities are built on disaster prone sites.
“The team heading to the pilgrimage route will be trained in mountain rescue. Weather is a big challenge there. They will work closely with the Mountain Rescue Team of J&K Police,” said a second NDRF officer.
“The entire stretch will be covered by CCTV... drones will also be used for surveillance..,” a CRPF officer aware of the matter said.