670 CAPF companies to guard Amarnath Yatra route

AHead up of the yearbook Amarnath Yatra start on July 3, a register 670 companies of exchange Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 89 more than the 581 companies deployed last year, officials familiar with the arrangements said. The first mock convoy movement drill along the highway was conducted successfully on Monday.Authorities have also retained last year’s ban on helicopter services for pilgrims from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes amid heightened security concerns. The airspace over both routes has been declared a no-flying zone, and security personnel have been equipped with anti-drone systems to counter aerial threats.In addition to CAPF deployment, seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been positioned for rescue operations, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has strengthened weather monitoring along the pilgrimage route with automated weather stations and additional nodal officers.Officials said CAPF personnel deployed along the convoy route, base camps and trekking track have been issued anti-drone jammers. Two National Security Guard (NSG) units have also been stationed along the route -- one tasked with neutralising unidentified aerial objects and another functioning as quick reaction teams for emergency response.“The airspace above both the routes is a no-flying zone. Unlike previous years, when private helicopter operators ferried pilgrims, helicopter services have been suspended again this year. Any unidentified object in the air has to be brought down,” one of the officials said.During a June 12 meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, CAPF chiefs were directed to combine conventional security measures with drones and advanced surveillance systems, the official said. Shah also instructed senior officers to remain present at camp sites throughout the pilgrimage to oversee security and logistics.A second official said the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF had jointly carried out a detailed security assessment along the route, following which quick reaction teams had been positioned at vulnerable locations.The CRPF will oversee convoy movement, road-opening operations and security at the base camps. Alongside the seven NDRF teams, the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have also deployed mountain rescue teams.Officials said the IMD has established automated weather stations and electronic weather display boards along the route to provide real-time updates to pilgrims and security personnel. Additional nodal officers have also been appointed to ensure continuous coordination between the weather department, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and officials at the Baltal and Pahalgam base camps.“Any sudden weather event will be communicated immediately by IMD officials and displayed through the weather boards along the trekking route,” the second official said.The annual Amarnath Yatra will run from July 3 to August 28.