Post Pahalgam attack, anti-terror squad deployed for 1st time at Valley of Flowers
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Dehradun: Uttarakhand Police has deployed a six-member anti-terror squad (ATS) team at Ghangaria, near the Valley of Flowers, to monitor tourist movement towards the alpine valley as well as popular Sikh pilgrimage spot, Hemkund Sahib, situated nearby, marking the first time such a deployment has taken place in this remote region.
The decision is being seen as linked to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 25 tourists and a local dead.
Chamoli SP Sarvesh Panwar, told TOI, "The ATS team has been stationed at Ghangaria, the key point for people going to both Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. The ATS team has been stationed there since May 24, a day before the Hemkund Sahib yatra began, and will work alongside the State Disaster Response Force to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the pilgrimage and tourist traffic."
According to sources, ATS deployment is part of a wider security strategy across Uttarakhand, which shares its border with China, in response to the Pahalgam incident in Jammu & Kashmir. While officials have not cited any direct threat or intelligence input linked to Chamoli district (where the Valley of Flowers lies, and which shares borders with China), police have increased surveillance across major tourist and religious sites in the Himalayan state as a precaution.
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Security arrangements have also been strengthened at the four Char Dham sites — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — where senior police officials have been overseeing crowd control, pilgrim safety and traffic flow. Also, police have been monitoring social media and providing support to around 1,700 Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand to maintain public order and prevent misinformation.
The Valley of Flowers National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site, reopened to tourists on June 1. Located over 9,000 ft above sea level in Chamoli, the park remains open from June to Oct and is known for its alpine flora. On opening day, 83 visitors visited the valley. Declared a national park in 1982, it is home to over 600 plant species, including Brahma Kamal, the state flower of Uttarakhand, along with Aster, Delphinium, Himalayan Blue Poppy, Ranunculus and Potentilla.
Hemkund Sahib, the revered Sikh shrine situated nearby, opened to devotees on May 25 and draws thousands of pilgrims every year.
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