Why ITBP and not CRPF are in charge of Amarnath Yatra security this year

As hundreds of worshippers undertake the taxing journey each year, the annual Amarnath Yatra in South Kashmir is one of the most treasured Hindu pilgrimages. However, this year’s 62-day yatra is more significant because it coincides with two “Shravan” months, an occurrence that hasn’t happened in 19 years. The annual pilgrimage is set to begin on 1 July and go until 31 August. With only two days left in the yatra, the final security grid contours are being reviewed. This time, the security system has undergone an important change with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) being replaced at the cave shrine by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officers who have been trained in mountain warfare. Let’s take a closer look at why ITBP is tasked to guard Amarnath cave this year. Also read: Amarnath Yatra: Poori, jalebi, burger banned; Check the list of food items allowed ITBP to guard Amarnath shrine In the south Kashmir Himalayas, at a height of 3,888 metres, the cave shrine as well as some significant pilgrim camps have been traditionally guarded by the CRPF for decades. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has, however, been given the first-ever assignment to guard the cave shrine this year. In a meeting yesterday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) made recommendations on which the decision was based. The meeting, held in the North Block, was chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, with senior officers from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), such as the CRPF, BSF and ITBP, and those from the intelligence departments, the Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and administration in attendance, the sources said. [caption id=“attachment_12798882” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] This year’s 62-day yatra is more significant because it coincides with two “Shravan” months, an occurrence that hasn’t happened in 19 years. Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] It established the “location-wise” roles of all the forces. While the ITBP and Border Security Force (BSF) will monitor the roughly half-dozen camps that were formerly secured by the CRPF, the nation’s primary internal security force, the CRPF will still be stationed directly beneath the cave shrine’s stairs. The sources had earlier told PTI that this new arrangement was made keeping in mind the “emerging security threats and challenges” and in accordance with the “requirements of the Jammu and Kashmir Police." The different other forces have been given tasks alongside the CRPF “more so because many companies of the CRPF are also in Manipur dealing with law and order situation and in West Bengal for panchayat elections,” the official continued, as per NDTV. Furthermore, the ITBP also played a crucial role in the aftermath of flash floods last year, he claimed, adding, “More importantly, they are a mountain army that is trained for natural tragedies.” Also read: Explained: All-weather alternative route to Amarnath Other security measures The Union home ministry also stressed inter-agency coordination and the use of drones, dogs and aerial-survey teams to counter any terror act and quickly respond to disasters, official sources said. According to PTI, sources said the use of drones, apart from the traditional methods of securing the yatra routes, was underlined, besides using search-and-rescue dogs at all places, including near the cave shrine, in order to respond quickly in case of a natural or man-made disaster. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) canines has already been deployed so that the dogs are acclimatised to the height and cold weather, they said.  A team of experts and the NDRF will undertake an aerial survey of the upper reaches to provide early warnings for any glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or flash flood-like situation, the sources said. The NDRF has been sent to help officials select places for the construction of pilgrim camps in order to prevent deaths from flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF). [caption id=“attachment_12799072” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Final touches to preparations for the Shri Amarnath Yatra, which will start on 1 July 2023. PTI[/caption] The Jammu and Kashmir government and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have asked helicopters to conduct routine aerial sorties in the upper reaches of the holy cave to look for GLOF events and the formation of lakes that could cause flash floods downhill. Such operations were only carried out in 2017 after the July flash floods. This year, though, the workout will begin before the yatra and continue periodically throughout the two-month trek. “The aerial surveys will be conducted by a team with expertise in remote sensing and satellite, hydrology and disaster response. Once a dangerous water build-up is spotted, contingency measures will be taken all along the yatra route, especially the area near the cave shrine,” explains an official aware of arrangements being made. Tragedies at the holy shrine The Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir is vulnerable to terrorist attacks because of its location. According to The Quint, from 1991 to 1993, the annual yatra was prohibited because of threats of terrorist attacks. The Indian Express reported that Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Ansar declared a yatra ban in 1993 in protest of the Babri Masjid’s demolition. Since the local militant organisations did not support its demands, the yatra continued freely throughout the height of the violence. Militants started attacking Amarnath devotees in 2000. 32 persons were killed in the attack on the Pahalgam base camp, including 21 pilgrims, according to Deccan Herald. A terrorist attack at Sheshnag Lake, close to the Amarnath Temple sanctuary, in 2001 claimed the lives of 13 persons, including 2 police officers, and critically injured 15 more. [caption id=“attachment_12798872” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir is vulnerable to terrorist attacks because of its location. Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] Al-Mansuriyan, the front organisation for Lashkar-e-Taiba, carried out two separate attacks in Pahalgam and Srinagar in 2002 that resulted in 11 fatalities and at least 30 injuries. Five pilgrims from Rajasthan were killed in another militant strike on a bus in Ganderbal, which is more than 23 miles from Srinagar. Seven pilgrims were killed in a terror attack on their bus in July 2017. Days later, the government informed the Lok Sabha that throughout the 27 years since 1990, 36 terrorist attacks on the annual Amarnath Yatra had resulted in 53 pilgrim deaths and 167 injuries. Other than terrorist assaults, pilgrims have also died as a result of natural disasters. Blizzards of the 1990s claimed up to 242 lives. According to Economic Times, 250 pilgrims perished in 1996 as a result of heavy snowfall and severe blizzards, while 130 pilgrims perished in 2012 because they were not physically prepared for the climb. A cloud burst in 2022 caused flash floods at the cave’s foothill that claimed several lives. Due to one company’s deployment there, ITBP jawans were the first to arrive and were able to rescue numerous lives. On July 8 of last year, flash floods brought on by persistent rain caused at least 16 fatalities close to the shrine. Significance of Amarnath cave Only on foot or by pony along a treacherous trail in Sonmarg, Kashmir, is the cave, which is situated at a height of 3,888 metres above sea level. From Pahalgam or Baltal, the distance to the shrine is either 46 kilometres or 16 km. The Amarnath cave is said to have been the location that Lord Shiva used to reveal the origin of his immortality (Amar Katha) to his spouse Parvati. According to legend, the cave was accidentally found in 1850 by Buta Malik, a Muslim shepherd. Malik is reported to have been tending his livestock at a high altitude in the highlands when a Sufi saint offered him a bag of coal. Malik discovered the bag to be filled with gold when he opened it at home. The joyful shepherd went back to the area to thank the saint, but he was unable to locate anyone. In the cave, he discovered the ice lingam instead. The Indian Express claims that the ice lingam, which stands for Lord Shiva, is created by a trickle of water coming from a crack in the cave’s roof. Every year in May, the Shivling reaches its peak shape before starting to melt once more. It is barely a few feet tall by August. Near the Shivling are two smaller ice sculptures that stand in for Parvati and Lord Ganesh. With inputs from PTI Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.