The shrines managed by the Waqf Board will be insulated against lightning and put under CCTV surveillance, vice-chairperson of the Board, Nizam-ud-din Bhat, said on Saturday.
The government had approved lightning protection at the shrines after the spire of Khanqah-e-Moula was gutted in a fire caused by lightning in November last year.
Bhat said power development department is assisting the Board in modernisingfire fighting measures and to fill the lacunae.
Also, CCTV cameras will be installed at 66 shrines and mosques managed by the Board.
“These cameras will be connected to the main office and from here we will monitor the shrines. From collection (of donation) to other things everything will be under surveillance,” said Bhat.
At present, except for the shrine of Hazrat Syed Hassan Mantaqi’s Sahib (RA) at Awantipora, no shrine or mosque in Kashmir is equipped with CCTV cameras. At a meeting chaired by Bhat recently, it was also decided to audit the Waqf assets. This will reveal what assets are idle or underutilised.
People who have taken Waqf properties on lease will be informed about the rights of the institution, the meeting had decided.