LG to flag off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims

Jammu : The first batch of pilgrims from Jammu will leave for the 38-day Amarnath Yatra amid tight security on Wednesday. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha , who also chairs the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board , will flag off the first batch.

The pilgrimage will commence on July 3 from the Kashmir Valley via two tracks — the traditional 48km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14km steep route in Ganderbal district. More than 3.3 lakh devotees have already registered for this year’s yatra, which will conclude on Aug 9, officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary Atal Dulloo Tuesday also took stock of the final arrangements at Yatri Niwas, one of the pivotal base camps in Jammu. He also directed the information department to run a targeted communication campaign across social and mass media platforms to provide real-time updates on weather, traffic and yatra advisories. “The campaign will help allay doubts or apprehensions among devotees and encourage confident participation,” Dulloo said.