SAROOR
JAMMU: As the preparations for the 62-day long Shri Amarnath Yatra are in full swing, a Tent City to accommodate more than 20,000 pilgrims is also being established at Baltal—one of the base camps of the pilgrimage.
Sources in the administration stated that a tent city is being set up at Baltal comprising more than five thousand tents which will accommodate over twenty thousand devotees.
The annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath is starting from July 1 and will conclude on August 31, the day of Raksha Bandhan.
“The preparations are in full swing and the work has also been expedited,” said an official adding that the Ganderbal District Administration has appointed 1574 people to set up tents at the Baltal base camp.
Around 200 people are engaged to set up shops, 320 are engaged to set up kiosks between Baltal to Domel, 28 people are deployed at Railpathri while manpower of 28 people is engaged in setting up tents at Holy Cave, they said.
The official said that 45 people at Sangam Top, 97 in Barari Marg, 177 in Holy Cave, 317 outside Baltal are deployed to establish shops and huts to facilitate the pilgrims with all the facilities at these temporary tents.
“The pilgrims will be provided electricity, water, toilets, medical and telecom services, food in langars, hot water and other facilities at these tents,” said an administrative official.
He revealed that the similar tents will also be set up by the security forces and other agencies in Baltal and other base camps while the district administration has fixed the rates for the services like horse, palanquin, pithu and tents etc. upto the cave shrine.
“The tent facility will be available on the spot and no online booking will be available,” said an official, adding that the charges for staying at these tents is nominal based upon the facilities available.
“The tents capacity of the tents varies to accommodate four, six and ten devotees while the langar service is absolutely free,” he said and added that pre-paid booths are being established in the base camps so that the pilgrims do not have to pay extra for the pithu and horse service.
However, a tent city with as many tents will also come up in Nunwan base camp on Pahalgam Yatra route.
