Srinagar: The clearing and restoration work of Amarnath Yatra tracks from the Pahalgam side of Anantnag district of South Kashmir is going on in full swing, a Border Roads Organization official said on Tuesday.
The official said that BRO started the clearing of yatra tracks in mid-March this year and will be completed by June 15.
Aditya, Officer Incharge BRO at Chandanwari said, “We have started the work on clearing the yatra tracks from March 2023. Presently, 800 labourers and 140 horses are working here to clear the 32 km yatra track from Chandanwari to the holy cave”.
The BRO official added that the administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has set June 15 deadline to clear the tracks. “We are hopeful to achieve that target,” he said.
Earlier the yatra track from Baltal to Holy Cave was maintained by Public Works Department (R&B) and the one from Chandanwari to Holy Cave was maintained by Pahalgam Development Authority.
Amarnath Yatra tracks were handed over to BRO in Sep 2022 last year for further maintenance and upgradation.
The basic scope of work involved snow clearance, widening of the track, restoration of all footbridges, fixing of handrails, protection works at slide-prone stretches and construction of breast walls and retaining walls for the protection of the track.
Earlier in the month Director General of BRO Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry said that snow-clearing work on the Amarnath Yatra track is in full swing. He further said that the government is expecting that at least 5 lakh people will be visiting the Amarnath cave shrine this year.
The Amarnath yatra is all set to begin next month.
