NEW DELHI: To prevent deaths of large number of pilgrims to Amarnath cave shrine every year, the Supreme Court on Friday appointed a special committee headed by Jammu & Kashmir Governor to suggest radical improvement in amenities and healthcare facilities to devotees from next year.
A bench of Justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar, which had taken suo motu cognizance of ToI's report on July 13 about death of 67 pilgrims till then this year, said lack of public amenities and healthcare, particularly the high rate of mortality, required urgent attention of all concerned.
The special high-powered committee (SHPC), headed by the Governor, was told to inspect the site and make recommendations on the following:
*Construction of proper passages, wide enough and with due support on both sides, for the traffic of pedestrian yatris, on horses and by palkis from Panchtarni to the Holy Cave
*Provide one-way passage with separate tracks, one for pedestrians and another for horses, carriages and palkis near the Shrine
*Provide health check-up facilities on both the passages from Baltal and Panchtarni to the Holy Cave
*Provide proper public amenities and facilities on way and at the lower end of the glaciers near the Holy Cave
*Deployment of more forces and to provide better conditions of service for the members of the forces, posted on way and at the Holy Cave
*Environmental Impact Assessment: The manner and methods to be adopted to attain the above, with least damage or interference with the environment of the entire zone right from Baltal to the Holy Cave from different routes
*Deployment of more medical teams, at regular distance on all the passages leading to the Holy Cave
*Registration of yatris at Jammu, Srinagar, Baltal and Panchtarni. It should also consider the possibility of limited number of yatris being released from Srinagar to Baltal to ensure better management, hygiene, healthcare and betterment of the yatris, who stay there overnight
*Medical examination at the time of registration and on the way
The bench asked: "It is discouraging to see nothing is there. It is ice below and sky above. People have died due to simple fall by skidding from a height of 1,000 feet. There is a seven-foot wide passage leading to the shrine on which you find palki, horses and people on foot traveling together. Why can't the Government make a proper path?"
Posting the matter for further hearing on August 13 and expecting at least a preliminary report, the bench said the SHPC's recommendations would enable the apex court to direct their timely execution to ensure that the "next yatra to the Holy Cave shall be less hazardous, beneficial and at least with basic human facilities being made available to yatris."
ToI on July 13 had reported death of 67 pilgrims over the last 17 days mainly because of cardiac arrest. It had also said that 105 devotees had died last year during the 45-day-long yatra. The court while issuing notices to the Centre, state government and the shrine board had said: "The pilgrims have a constitutional right to move freely throughout the territory of India, free of fear, with dignity and safety and to ensure enforcement of such right is the primary obligation of the state and the central governments."
Edited By Cen Fox Post Team
