Srinagar: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has joined the security grid to ensure an incident-free two-month long Hindu holy pilgrimage of Amarnath starting July 1.
While it earlier flew the Border Roads Organisation’s heavy equipment deep into the Himalayas, now IAF has been tasked to fly into the area frequently to check the glacial situation of the fragile environmental region.
Reports appearing in the media said that this season IAF helicopters are being deployed along the twin tracks (Pahalgam, Baltal) of the cave shrine to conduct air sorties in the upper reaches to “check glacial events including formation of lakes that trigger flash floods”.
The IAF involvement is aimed at preventing a repetition of the 2022 disaster in which 16 pilgrims were washed away in the flash floods after a cloudburst, officials in the report said.
To facilitate this, aerial surveys will be conducted by a team of experts proficient in remote sensing, satellite technology, hydrology, and disaster response.
“Once any potential risk of water build-up is detected, appropriate contingency measures will be taken along the entire pilgrimage route, particularly in the vicinity of the cave shrine,” reports said.
The IAF has already been involved in the conduct of the yatra.
Earlier, this month IAF’s Chinook flew heavy equipment from Sonamarg to Panjtirthi. This enabled the BRO to speed up track management, it said.
