Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said there has been a 10.19% decrease in pilgrim registrations for this year’s Amarnath Yatra following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

“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,” Mr. Sinha told reporters at Raj Bhavan.

He shared that 2.36 lakh pilgrims had already registered before the attack, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists, in Baisaran, Pahalgam.

Mr. Sinha said that confidence is coming back due to efforts made by the administration and security forces. This has helped improve registration numbers again.

The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has started asking pilgrims who registered before April 22 to reverify their bookings. So far, 85,000 people have done so.

“We are hoping that the registrations will pick up in the coming days,” he added.

The Amarnath Yatra is set to begin on July 3 and end on August 9. Mr. Sinha assured the public that tight security arrangements have been made for the safety of pilgrims, tourists, and locals.

“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 said.

Pilgrims are welcome to come in private vehicles, but are advised to move with the convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for added safety.

To improve the yatra experience, several comfort and safety upgrades have been made over the past three years. Mr. Sinha shared that the track has been widened from four to 12 feet, and barriers have been added at risky spots.

"The vulnerable spots have been secured by barriers... the narrow tracks were a major cause of discomfort for the pilgrims," he said.

He also revealed that while the track is now motorable up to the holy cave, it will be used only in emergencies.

“The pilgrimage will go on as usual as in the past,” he added, noting that feedback from pilgrims has been positive, and the efforts of the administration and shrine board are being appreciated.

On the topic of helicopter services, Mr. Sinha said the decision to suspend them was made due to safety concerns and recent mishaps in other states.

“Moreover, only eight per cent of pilgrims were using helicopter services for darshan,” he pointed out.

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