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Hans India
10-07-2025
- Hans India
Amarnath Yatra: Over 1.28 lakh perform pilgrimage, fresh batch of 7,307 leaves for Kashmir
Srinagar: Over 1.28 lakh pilgrims performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra during the last seven days as another batch of 7,307 pilgrims left for Kashmir from Jammu on Thursday. The batch of 7,307 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley. 'First escorted convoy of 137 vehicles carrying 3,081 Yatris left at 3.15 a.m. for Baltal base camp while the second escorted convoy of 147 vehicles carrying 4,226 Yatris left at 3.58 a.m. for Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,' officials said. Officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the affairs of the annual pilgrimage, said that in addition to the number of Yatris coming to the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, many Yatris are reporting directly at Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) for on-spot registration to join the Yatra. The Meteorological (MeT) office has forecast rain in J&K during the next 12 hours with isolated intense showers/thunderstorms at some places during this period, especially in the Jammu division. Authorities have made unprecedented security arrangements for this year's Yatra, as this takes place after the cowardly attack of April 22 in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them on the basis of faith in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. An additional 180 companies of CAPFs have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the army, BSF, CRPF, SSB and the local police. All the transit camps en route to the two base camps and the entire route from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu to the cave shrine are secured by the security forces. Locals have extended complete cooperation to this year's Amarnath Yatra as they have always done in the past. Locals from Srinagar city travelled 30 km to Nuner village on the Baltal-Srinagar road on July 6 to serve cold drinks and pure drinking water to Yatris returning after performing the Yatra. The acceptance of the hospitality extended by the locals was as spontaneous and genuine as the response the Yatris showed in accepting the hospitality with gratitude. This year, the Yatra started on July 3 and will end after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals. Yatris approach the holy cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas either from the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route. Those using the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni to reach the cave shrine, covering a distance of 46 km on foot. This trek takes a pilgrim four days to reach the cave shrine. And, those using the shorter Baltal route trek 14 km to reach the cave shrine and return to the base camp the same day after performing the Yatra. No helicopter services are available to Yatris this year because of security reasons. The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
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India.com
09-07-2025
- India.com
Amarnath Yatra 2025 Crosses 1.11 Lakh Mark In Six Days
Over 1.11 lakh pilgrims have so far performed the Amarnath Yatra during the last six days as another batch of 7,579 pilgrims left for Kashmir from Jammu on Wednesday. Officials said that since the Yatra started on July 3, over 1.11 lakh pilgrims had 'darshan' inside the holy cave shrine. 'Another batch of 7579 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. First escorted convoy of 133 vehicles carrying 3,031 Yatris left at 3.25 a.m. for Baltal base camp while the second escorted convoy of 169 vehicles carrying 4,548 Yatris left at 3.40 a.m. for Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,' officials said. Officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the affairs of the annual pilgrimage, said that in addition to the number of Yatris coming to the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, many Yatris are reporting directly at Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) for on-spot registration to join the Yatra. The Meteorological (MeT) office has forecast rain in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours, with isolated intense showers/thunderstorms at some places during this period. Authorities have left no stone unturned in providing a multi-tier cover to this year's Amarnath Yatra, as this takes place after the cowardly attack of April 22 in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them on the basis of faith in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. An additional 180 companies of CAPFs have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB and the local police. All the transit camps en route to the two base camps and the entire route from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu to the cave shrine are secured by the security forces. Locals have extended complete cooperation to this year's Amarnath Yatra as they have always done in the past. They were the first to welcome the first batch of Yatris with garlands and placards as the pilgrims crossed the Navyug Tunnel to enter the Valley at Qazigund. On July 6, locals from Srinagar city travelled 30 km to Nuner village on the Baltal-Srinagar road to serve cold drinks and pure drinking water to Yatris returning after performing the Yatra. The acceptance of the hospitality extended by the locals was as spontaneous and genuine as the response the Yatris showed in accepting the hospitality with gratitude. This year, the Yatra started on July 3 and will end after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals. Yatris approach the holy cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas either from the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route. Those using the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni to reach the cave shrine, covering a distance of 46 km on foot. This trek takes a pilgrim four days to reach the cave shrine. Those using the shorter Baltal route trek 14 km to reach the cave shrine and return to the base camp the same day after performing the Yatra. No helicopter services are available to Yatris this year because of security reasons.
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
3 years before Uttarakhand chopper crash, lessons from starkly similar accident went unheeded
On October 18, 2022, a helicopter owned by Aryan Aviation took off from Kedarnath with six passengers and a pilot, crossed Garud Chatti, and crashed after impact with a ridge, leaving no survivors. On Sunday, another helicopter, this too a Bell 407, crashed near Gaurikund, killing seven people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which probed the 2022 crash, had made recommendations in November 2023 to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to prevent such incidents. The accident was eerily similar to Sunday's crash. At 11:38 am on October 18, 2022, the chopper took off from Kedarnath for Guptkashi with six passengers. According to the statement of another pilot, he did not hear the take-off call from the helicopter as he crossed Garud Chatti and attempted to call the crew on radiotelephony, but received no response. 'The weather was reported to be deteriorating and clouds descending. As the clouds cleared after some time, smoke was observed rising near Garud Chatti by witnesses from the helipad. As per witnesses, the helicopter had impacted the ridge near Garud Chatti in less than a minute after take-off,' the report stated. In its report, the AAIB stated that the UCADA should establish an Aviation Meteorological Station, manned by experts, at Kedarnath to provide more accurate weather updates to operators flying into the area. This was because the Meteorological station from which the weather information was collected was Dehradun Airport. The UCADA was also asked to set up an Air Traffic Control at Kedarnath for better monitoring of operations. It also recommended that the DGCA ensure adequate CCTV coverage in operational areas at Kedarnath helipad and verify the availability of recordings during all audits and surveillance. The AAIB also noted that the helipad is equipped with CCTV cameras; however, on the day of the accident, the cameras were reportedly unserviceable, and no footage facing the helipad was made available to the AAIB by UCADA. The Kedarnath helipad still lacks navigation aids and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility. VHF communication was used by the operator and pilots to communicate. It still is. UCADA CEO, Sonika, Monday told the media that there are 14 cameras for weather monitoring and the pilot has an app for weather updates. 'We have a mini weather station in the area apart from the real-time update system. The weather changes quickly, and so do cloud formations,' she said, adding that they have written to the central government to check the feasibility of setting up ATC in the region. Flying in the valley is dependent on the radiotelephony calls made by the operating pilots, including call-outs made for weather updates. There is no procedure for readback or to ensure that all the pilots operating in the region received the RT call. 'Hence, this system itself is not foolproof, and there is always a chance of someone missing the RT call made by any pilot. The same could have been the case in the subject accident, wherein the pilot who had just taken off before VT-RPN (the helicopter that crashed) stated that he gave a call out on RT regarding the prevailing weather just after he took off from Kedarnath Helipad. If that was the case, then the deceased pilot could have received the RT call and may have acted according to the reported weather conditions, or if he had heard the call and still decided to take off reflects that the pilot operates at their discretion and there is no control of the traffic,' the report said. The report suggested that the DGCA ensure that helipads at shrines, such as Kedarnath, which experience a high number of sorties and passenger loads daily, are licensed and that the helipad operator is individually responsible for the safety and security of helipad operations. In the findings, after the probe into the fragments of the helicopter, the AAIB noted that the main rotor blades and hub, tail rotor drive system and tail rotor assembly, flight controls, hydraulic servos, landing gear, and fuel system showed little evidence of pre-crash anomalies. 'There was no evidence of engine fire, failure or malfunction before initial impact. All available evidence is consistent with normal engine operation and power delivery up until the aircraft impacted terrain,' it said. It further said that in the absence of a Met facility in the valley, 'everything is dependent on the individual pilot's perception'. 'With frequent changes in weather conditions in the valley, this procedure of total dependency on pilots' perception cannot be relied upon every time. Further, in the SOP, it is mentioned that there should be personnel from each operator who man the Kedarnath helipad and provide weather updates to the respective pilots. The operators have their personnel manned at Kedarnath helipad; however, these personnel are not MET experts, they are the ground handlers who are used mainly for assisting in boarding/deboarding of passengers. They just visually observe the weather as far as they can observe in the valley and report it to the pilot. Hence, it is not sufficient to rely on these personnel to give a correct weather update, which is a specialised task,' the report said. Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
