This year after three waves of covid, Shri Amarnath Yatra is expected to reach a record number of passengers in 2022. For the first time daily, more than twenty thousand passengers will get a chance to visit Baba Barfani from the traditional Baltal and Pahalgam tracks. For this, the facility of twenty thousand advance passenger registration will be provided daily. So far, only twice the travel figure has crossed six lakhs. This time, the halting arrangements are being expanded for the passengers. Due to this, thousands of passengers can be accommodated on the journey route in an emergency or travel overload. The facility of advance passenger registration is being started in April.
Apart from advance passenger registration, the number of passengers travelling by helicopter will be different. It is proposed to convene a meeting of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board in the next few days regarding the dates and other arrangements for Amarnath Yatra. In this, the travel announcement will be made by the Lieutenant Governor and CEO of the board, Manoj Sinha. More than three thousand passengers will be accommodated in the newly constructed Yatri Niwas located at Chandrakot, Ramban. Along with the traditional Yatra, Shiva devotees will also have the privilege of having a live telecast of the aarti from the holy cave every morning and evening during the entire journey. For the first time, preparations are also being made to start direct helicopter service from Srinagar to Nilgrath and Pahalgam.
If twenty thousand passengers are registered daily, and the journey continues systematically, then the number of journeys will cross six lakhs in a month. Although in the year 2021 also, the registration figure was 7500 to ten thousand in each of the two routes daily, due to covid, the journey could not be done. So far in the history of the Yatra, a record 6.36 lakh devotees have visited Baba Barfani in the holy cave in the year 2011 and 6.20 lakh in 2012. Earlier in the year 2010, this figure was 4.55 lakhs, but the journey has never crossed four lakhs after that.
The Lieutenant Governor has emphasized making preparations with a target of one million yatras. Therefore, the board has sought the list of recognized medical institutions and doctors from various states. In this, mandatory health certificates issued after March 15 will be valid. Based on these, the registration facility will be given to the passengers.
