Srinagar, 1 July (H.S.): Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha will flag off the first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims for the twin base camps in Kashmir from here amid tight security on Wednesday.

The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine will commence on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks — the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter (14 kilometres) but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9.

According to officials, more than 3,31,000 devotees have registered for this year’s yatra so far.

On-the-spot registration of devotees arriving here for the pilgrimage has also started. Nearly 4,000 tokens have been distributed during the past two days, the officials said.

“The first batch of the yatra will leave the Jammu base camp in Bhagwati Nagar for Kashmir tomorrow. It will be flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha,” said Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar.

The devotees will be ferried to the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal amid heavy security escort, traffic restrictions and area domination along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the officials said.

Traffic restrictions will be imposed on various routes from July 2 to August 9, with daily advisories issued to minimise inconvenience, a traffic officer said, adding that cut-off timings have been fixed for each sector on the highway, which is monitored through CCTVs.

Over 3,500 pilgrims have reached the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here, according to the officials.

The LG, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), reviewed the security and other arrangements for the yatra at a high-level meeting, the officials said.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo also visited the base camp in Jammu and said that all arrangements have been put in place for a peaceful pilgrimage.

Jammu has been put under a security blanket with enhanced security measures, including a multi-layer security grid and the use of technology for surveillance.

Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Security Wing has taken charge of the Bhagwati Nagar base camp while the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is managing security around the base camp.

The Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu serves as the primary base camp for pilgrims from across the country before they proceed to the cave shrine of Amarnath nestled in the majestic Himalayas of south Kashmir.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar