SC to J&K govt: Provide concrete road to
Amarnath pilgrims
P L UNIYAL
NEW DELHI, Nov 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday
asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to pave the passage from Panchtarni to
Amarnath holy cave with pre-fabricated cement tiles to ensure that pilgrims do
not slip on the way. A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar also
said that side support too be provided for the pilgrims. "You have to put something
so that people do not slip. Pre-fabricated cement tiles must be placed all
through the passage from Panchtarni to cave," the bench said. It
said some sort of iron chain or pillar be also put in place to give support to
the pilgrims and to prevent them from falling into sideways abyss and ditches. The
court was hearing a case, which it took suo motu cognisance of on media reports
on pilgrims' deaths allegedly due to lack of proper facilities and medical care
for them.
The apex court had earlier
appointed a high-power committee to look into the issue of growing number of
casualties of Amarnath pilgrims. A number of pilgrims had died due to cardiac
arrest and other ailments during the pilgrimage period spread over two months
this year. The committee comprises secretaries of various departments including
those from the ministry of environment and forest, the home affairs, the health
and child welfare, besides the Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary. The report of
the committee had pointed out that medical facilities enroute were not available
and were not up to the mark for the people, who needed immediate help. This was
happening despite the fact that the shrine board had asked the pilgrims to get
medical fitness certificates with them at the time of registration for the
yatra.
The court had asked the committee
to visit the shrine and give the report to Jammu and Kashmir governor who is
also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, responsible for holding the
Amarnath pilgrimage. Around
6,21,145 pilgrims undertook the Amarnath Yatra this year which saw 93
casualties
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