Even as the VHP and some other right-wing Hindu groups have threatened to start this year’s Amarnath yatra on June 15, about a fortnight early than planned by the concerned authorities, it is unlikely that the tracks to the 12,729-foot-high cave shrine will be ready for devotees embarking on the arduous journey through rugged hills of southeast Kashmir.
That is what Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N. Vohra, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), observed during the aerial reconnaissance of twin tracks he, along with some other officials, undertook on Saturday. They found large accumulation of snow along both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes and, according to the SASB sources, were told by the officials at the base camps that it would be unlikely that the tracks will be operational before the third week of June even if steps on war footing were initiated for the purpose. It would be dangerous to allow the pilgrims to tread on them before the tracks are actually secured for foot journey, they said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the SASB here said that the governor asked the officials to speed up the repairing of the Baltal-Amarnath and Chandanwari-Amarnath tracks and make them operational timely.
Mr Vohra, during the aerial reconnaissance assessed the status of snowmelt along both the yatra routes and at the various camps along the tracks. Later, he had an extensive inspection of the Baltal base-camp and reviewed the ongoing works.