Jammu: Trained to serve in high-altitude areas and natural disaster-hit regions, professional rescue teams of J&K Police will be deployed en route to Amarnath in south Kashmir's Anantnag district for the forthcoming annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine, officials said on Tuesday.
Members of the Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) of the Jammu and Kashmir police are undergoing specialised mountain rescue training so as to learn means to tackle difficult situations during a natural disasters at Nud area of Jammu's Samba district, a top police official said.
Additional Director General of Police (Armed) S M Sahai today visited Nud Samba to review the preparedness of these MRTs which will be deployed during to ensure safety and convenience of devotees.
"Apart from being trained in high altitude mountain rescues, MRTs are also being trained to tackle difficult situations during natural disasters like floods and earthquakes for ensuring the safety of men and material," Sahai said.
Sahai said that MRTs of J&K Police were fully geared to serve during the annual pilgrimage.
He said that several teams comprising of experienced and well trained mountaineers would be deployed during the yatra season at critical points of Pissu Top, Sheshnag, Nagakoti-Jogibal, MG Top, Sangam for safety and convenience of the pilgrims.
"The MRTs are trained for high altitude advance mountaineering, search and rescue operations from reputed institutions of mountaineering across the country to carry out rescue operations in high altitudes during the Yatra," Sahai said.
While praising the role of MRTs during Amarnath Yatra, Sahai said that these teams have regularly been performing rescue operations along the dangerous stretches of the track to holy cave by fixing ropes along the critical road stretches for safety of pilgrims.
"During yatra, the teams move everyday early morning from their respective locations to conduct an advance reconnaissance and convey the status of the track, facilitating the decision of camp directors regarding the movement of Yatris", Sahai said.
