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Srinagar/Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday conducted comprehensive high-altitude operational drills at 18 strategic locations — many of them snow-bound — along the twin routes to the cave shrine of Amarnath, to assess preparedness of its mountain rescue teams (MRTs), an official said.
To bolster safety measures for the pilgrimage, 45 specialised MRTs, comprising personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have been deployed along the 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, the official said.
The annual 57-day yatra to cave shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,880 metres in south Kashmir Himalayas, is scheduled to commence on the twin routes on July 3.
Simultaneous mock rescue drills were conducted at all the strategic locations, many of them still snow-bound, to assess preparedness of the MRTs for ensuring security of pilgrims, and timely response in cases of emergency, Ram Singh — who is overseeing the 18 rescue teams along the yatra routes — told PTI.
He said the exercise involved MRTs deployed at Chandanwari, Pissu Top, Zojibal, Nagakoti, Wavbal, MG Top, Poshpathri, Kelnar, Dardkote, Sangam Top, Holy Cave, Lower Holy Cave, Y-Junction, Brarimarg, Railpathri, Domail, Panjtarni and Sheshnag.
The mock drill was aimed at keeping all rescue teams in a high state of operational readiness and evaluating their response to potential contingencies including natural disasters, medical emergencies, landslides, flash floods and other unforeseen incidents that may arise during the pilgrimage, the officer said.
He said the exercise also tested coordination among MRTs, communication systems, rescue equipment, evacuation procedures and overall emergency response mechanisms to ensure safety and well-being of devotees.
Singh said the drill was conducted successfully, with all participating teams responding satisfactorily, reaffirming their preparedness for smooth and safe conduct of the yatra.
Earlier, a spokesman said the exercises reinforced Jammu and Kashmir Police’s commitment to ensuring a safe yatra for pilgrims.
Police have urged devotees to use the ‘Pehchaan’ app to verify the antecedants of service providers during their pilgrimage to the south Kashmir Himalayas.
“It will ensure that the pilgrims only interact with verified and registered service providers. It will also help in preventing fraud, impersonation and overcharging,” the spokesman said. (Agencies)
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