In A First, Command Control Centre Set Up For Real-Time Surveillance Of Amarnath Yatra Routes

SRINAGAR: For the first time ever, Jammu and Kashmir Administration has established a digital Hi-tech Command Control Centre for real-time surveillance of the Amarnath Yatra routes. The move will help the government to regulate the Amarnath Yatra in a smooth manner.

Amarnath Yatra is one of the toughest pilgrimages of Hindus and the Jammu and Kashmir Administration has been working round-the-clock to make every little aspect related to Yatra easy for the pilgrims. The Jammu and Kashmir L-G had ordered the establishment of the Hi-tech Command Control Centre to provide the utmost help to the Pilgrims coming for the Pilgrimage.

The Hi-tech Command Control Centre has around 60 people from around 20 government departments working day and night. The departments working in the Hi-tech Command Control Centre include Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, NDRF, SDRF, Health, PHE, PDD, Telecom and many others.

There are around 17 PTZ High Definition 360-degree view cameras placed all through the routes from base camps till the cave. Dozens of static cameras have also been placed at strategically important places from both Baltal and Chandanwari base camps.

"We are getting a live feed which we continuously monitor, if there is any issue on either of the routes, if someone has any health issue or medical emergency, we try to find a solution as soon as possible. There are people from every department present there and if we get to know of any medical emergency, it's very well coordinated,” said V K Bidhuri Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir. 

He added, "The response time is very good as well. The facility will also be helpful if there is a natural disaster. We have a focal point from which we can coordinate everything. The Command Control Centre is the nerve center where all monitoring is done. This includes the safety and security of pilgrims.”

Besides, all the pilgrims coming for the Amarnath Yatra have been provided with RFID ( radio frequency identification number ). This helps the authorities to monitor the location of the pilgrims while they take the pilgrimage from their base camps.

The digital Hi-tech Command Control Centre will play a very important role in identifying medical emergencies, potential disaster situations, locating missing individuals, and facilitating their recovery.

According to the government estimate, around 80 thousand pilgrims have completed the Amarnath Yatra in the first 6 days of the yatra and it's expected that this year the number of pilgrims visiting holy cave will cross five lakhs which be the all-time high numbers since the Holy Yatra had begun.