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Updated April 30th, 2022 at 07:38 IST

Amarnath Yatra 2022: Security forces to deploy anti-drone system to ensure safe pilgrimage

In a bid to make the upcoming Amarnath Yatra in J&K, incident-free, security forces have decided to deploy an anti-drone system for the Yatra.

Reported by: Ajay Sharma
Amarnath Yatra
Image: Unsplash/PTI | Image:self
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In a bid to make the upcoming Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), incident-free, security forces have decided to deploy an anti-drone system for the Yatra that will commence on June 30. According to officials, in the Amarnath Yatra which will start on June 30, anti-drone systems will be deployed in such a manner that it covers both the routes of Baltal and Pahalgam. They also reported that this anti-drone system will also be deployed at the key checkpoints of the Yatra to thwart any threat from drone attacks. 

The decision comes following the prevailing drone threat from across the border. Earlier on Wednesday, while speaking with Republic on the drone issue, ADG Jammu Mukesh Singh said that the drone activities from Pakistan were going on. He further added that some recoveries from Kashmir show that dropping took place via drone. 

Following the cancellation of the Amarnath Yatra in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, security agencies are employing technology on a scale never seen before on the annual pilgrimage in the wake of recent terror incidents.

BSF shot down drone from Pakistan

The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Friday shot down a Pakistani drone while it was entering from Pakistan into Indian territory in Dhanoe Kalan village in Punjab's Amritsar Sector. The quadcopter recovered by BSF is a 'Made in China' DJI Matrice - 300 drone.

"Whole area was cordoned and Police & concerned sister agencies were immediately informed. Furthermore, an intensive search of the depth area was carried out & at around 6:15 am, troops, recovered a black coloured Quadcopter, “Made in China”, Model-DJI Matrice - 300” near Dhanoe Kalan," BSF informed in a statement.

Amarnath Yatra 2022

The registration for the annual Amarnath Yatra 2022 began on Monday, April 11, as the yatra will commence on June 30 and conclude on August 11 after being postponed for two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nitishwar Kumar, CEO of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, stated that pilgrims would have the facility of registering for the yatra online also. He stated that one needs to visit the Amarnath Shrine Board's official website or use its mobile application to register for the yatra this year. The Shrine Board's official website is - www.shriamarnathjishrine.com. 

According to Kumar, pilgrims will be given RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags, which will allow the Shrine board to follow their movements. He further added that the insurance coverage period for pony handlers increased to one year and the insurance cover for pilgrims increased from Rs 3 lakh to 5 lakh for the year 2022.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Amarnath temple is a Hindu shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is located at a height of 3,888 metres (12,756 ft). The cave, which is located in Lidder Valley, is surrounded by glaciers and snowy mountains and is covered in snow for the majority of the year, with the exception of a brief period in the summer when it is open to pilgrims. The Mahamaya Shakti Peetha, which resides in the Amarnath cave, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, or temples, scattered around South Asia that commemorate the location of the Hindu deity Sati's fallen body parts.

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Published April 30th, 2022 at 07:38 IST

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