Unprecedented security measures were put in place for this year’s Amarnath yatra after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists from different states and a local pony wala were killed.The government had declared all routes to Amarnath cave shrine as “no-fly zones,” banning use of drones and balloons throughout the yatra. No helicopter service has been allowed during this year’s yatra.This year, comprehensive health arrangements were put in place on both yatra tracks. Two 100-bed hospitals at the base camps, and a dedicated team of 1,222 medical professionals worked around the clock to provide health care services to pilgrims.Along the Yatra route, over 90 medical facilities provided a combined capacity of 560 clinical beds, and 26 dedicated oxygen booths were also set up. For emergency response, a fleet of 45 ambulances, including 9 equipped for critical care, was deployed.An official spokesman said for the first time, emergency communication systems were installed at seven key points on the Yatra track, successfully resolving nearly 100 distress calls. Real-time health screening was also arranged for pilgrims.“There has been a 9% reduction in natural deaths compared to previous years,” he said.In a major upgrade, he said, most of the tracks on the Baltal and Chandanwari routes leading to the cave have been widened to 12 feet. “Installation of safety hand railings, along with disciplined track inspection, repair, and maintenance has been done for the first time.”An RFID-based tracking system was introduced for all registered pilgrims and service providers, enabling real-time monitoring of the routes and preventing unauthorised access.“Pilgrim safety was ensured through continuous, 24×7 monitoring of the yatra route through a live feed system,” the spokesman said, adding that a wireless intranet network has been established for real-time monitoring of the yatra track.This year, PTZ cameras, static and head-count cameras, and RFID readers were installed on the Yatra track to ensure the safe journey of the pilgrims.
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