Ganderbal, Apr 5: The snow clearance work on the Baltal-Domail road, leading to the Amarnath cave shrine is in full swing.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) initiated snow clearance along the Baltal-Domail road, the primary route leading to the Amarnath cave shrine in the Ganderbal district early this month.
The snow clearance work has been started ahead of the annual yatra which is likely to start in the last week of June this year. An official said that the snow clearance work was going on.
He said that men and machinery had been working to clear the road on the fast track. The BRO earlier completed the widening of the road from Dumail to the Amarnath cave shrine via Baltal base camp, marking a significant milestone in this project.
It is also for the first time that the BRO would maintain the Amarnath tracks. Earlier, the J&K government’s Public Works Department (PWD) was maintaining the Baltal shrine track in Ganderbal district and the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) was maintaining the Pahalgam shrine route in Anantnag district.
In September last year, the Amarnath yatra tracks were handed over to the BRO for both maintenance and upgradation. The BRO has expertise in working on the mountainous track.
At present, most of the yatris opt for the traditional route to the cave shrine via Pahalgam. The majority of the yatris prefer this route as it is not only a bit easier than the Baltal one but also scenic. On the other hand, the trek via Baltal usually takes a day to complete. Tens and thousands of yatris take part in the two-month yatra every year.