Amarnath yatra’s twin tracks to be widened with railings: BRO

In April this year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced a road project to the Amarnath shrine in Pahalgam

The arduous Amarnath yatra routes, sometimes going up to an altitude of 13,000 feet through the picturesque tourist spots of Pahalgam and Sonamarg, will be widened with railings this year by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

“We are deploying our machines and teams in places where we are expecting a landslide. The Centre has given us permission to improve border roads,” Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhry, Director-General of the BRO, said.

For the first time, the BRO will be maintaining the Amarnath twin tracks. Earlier, the J&K government’s Public Works Department was maintaining the Baltal shrine track in Ganderbal district and the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) was maintaining the Pahalgam shrine route in Anantnag district. It was in September last year that the Amarnath yatra tracks were handed over to the BRO for both maintenance and upgradation.

At present, pilgrims trek 20 km on foot from Chandanwari up to the cave shrine in Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal to the shrine.

“The basic scope of work (on the tracks) involved snow clearance, widening of the track, restoration of all foot bridges, fixing of hand rails, protection works at slide prone stretches and construction of breast walls and retaining walls for protection of the tracks,” a BRO spokesman said.

In April this year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced a road project to the Amarnath shrine in Pahalgam, after J&K Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha requisitioned it.

Officials said over five lakh pilgrims were expected to visit the shrine this year. The BRO is likely to restore the tracks by June 15. The yatra is set to commence from July 1 this year.