Srinagar, August 12: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday felicitated officers of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, administration, security forces, medical teams, NGOs, and other stakeholders for the successful conduct of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2025.
At a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan Auditorium, LG Sinha congratulated the people of Jammu & Kashmir for making the pilgrimage a spiritually enriching experience for devotees.
“More than 4.14 lakh pilgrims from across India and abroad paid obeisance to Baba Barfani. Their enthusiasm and devotion, coupled with the peaceful and successful conduct of the Yatra, is a befitting reply to the enemy’s design to destabilise peace in the Union Territory,” he said.
The LG expressed gratitude to civil society groups, sanitation workers, volunteers, ponywalas, pithuwalas, disaster response teams, Army, Police, CAPFs, intelligence agencies, media, and all those who contributed to the Yatra.
Enhanced Facilities & Safety Measures
This year’s pilgrimage featured comprehensive arrangements, including two 100-bed base camp hospitals, over 90 medical facilities along the route with 560 beds, 26 oxygen booths, and 45 ambulances — nine of them critical care units. More than 1,222 medical professionals were on duty round the clock, resulting in a 9% drop in natural deaths compared to previous years.
For the first time, emergency communication systems were installed at seven key points, addressing nearly 100 distress calls, while real-time health screening was introduced for pilgrims. An RFID-based tracking system enabled real-time monitoring and curbed unauthorized entry.
Infrastructure upgrades included widening of tracks on Baltal and Chandanwari routes to 12 feet, installation of safety railings, and continuous live-feed surveillance. The Shrine Board, in collaboration with stakeholders, ensured uninterrupted power supply, underground optical fibre connectivity, and wireless intranet monitoring.
The pre-paid service system for palanquins and ponies was availed by 1.84 lakh pilgrims, ensuring transparency and preventing overcharging. Environmental protection was prioritized through a zero-landfill approach, 7,000 toilets, and deployment of 6,500 ‘Swachhagrahis’.
New Facilities & Tribute
Two new Yatri Niwas complexes were inaugurated at Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, and Baltal, Ganderbal, to accommodate pilgrims. On the occasion, LG Sinha also paid homage to civilians killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Pahalgam.
Senior officials including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava, and CEO SASB Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari were present.
“Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is a confluence of humanity and faith. Every pilgrim is now a brand ambassador for Jammu & Kashmir,” LG Sinha remarked, urging officials to apply lessons from this year’s experience for future improvements.
