Around 79 yatries have died in the ongoing Amarnath pilgrimage. And we are only halfway through the yatra. This is an unacceptable number. Last year, there were 105 deaths but considering the high casualty figure this year, the deaths this year are likely to surpass this number. Most of these deaths are the result of the heart attacks. There have also been few accidents. If anything, these deaths have once again highlighted the pathetic management of yatra.  Year after year, as the number of pilgrims has grown, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has failed to make commensurate arrangement for the safe conduct of pilgrimage. Now, half way through the yatra, SASB has called on yatris to go for a thorough medical check-up before undertaking the yatra. Although, there is a standing health advisory for the yatries, most pilgrims, according to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, produce fake health certificates. Now SASB wants yatries to produce genuine certificates.  But considering that the pilgrims have so far not adhered to the health advisory, there is little hope that they will come up with the authentic medical certificates.  In calling for such certificates, SASB is only trying to shift the responsibility for these deaths to yatries themselves. What is needed is a practical plan for a more efficient management of yatra. First thing to do so is to first rescue the pilgrimage of the politics that has come to surround it over the past some years. This will give the government the space to objectively think about the measures that need to be taken for a smooth yatra. There are a whole lot of issues that are involved. And most prominent of these is the environment, period of yatra and of course the safety of pilgrims themselves. The number of deaths could be checked if the government has to deal with a manageable number of yatries. And the lesser number of yatries in turn will be good for the fragile environment of the yatra route.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST