Post Pahalgam: 10% drop in Amarnath registration, says LG

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday said there has been a drop of over 10 per cent in pilgrim registration for this year’s Amarnath Yatra in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

“The pilgrim registration before the April 22 incident was going on at a good pace but after that the registrations decreased. There was a drop of 10.19 per cent in registration compared to last year,” Sinha told reporters at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

The LG said around 2.36 lakh pilgrims had registered for the yatra before the attack took place at Baisaran in Pahalgam area that left 26 persons -- mostly tourists -- dead. “The confidence among the pilgrims is returning due to the steps taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Administration and the security forces which has resulted in the registrations picking up again,” he added.

Sinha said the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has launched a process of seeking reverification from the pilgrims who had registered for the yatra before April 22. “So far, 85000 pilgrims have reconfirmed their registration. We are hoping that the registrations will pick up in the coming days,” he said. Asked if the terror attack had affected the Amarnath Yatra this year, Sinha said it had affected the entire Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the valley. The LG said adequate security arrangements have been put in place for the pilgrimage which will start from July 3 and end on August 9.

“There is a three tier security at the base camps while security forces are carrying out area domination and mock drills to meet any eventuality. More police officials and CAPF personnel have been deployed while verification of all service providers has been completed,” he added