Coordinated security grid to handle Amarnath Yatra-2023: IG BSF Kashmir

Srinagar: A coordinated security response grid of different security agencies will be put in place to ensure incident-free Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir, Inspector General of Border Security Forces (BSF), Kashmir Frontier Ashok Yadaw said Saturday.

The 62-day Amarnath Yatra-2023 is scheduled to commence on July 1 and culminate on August 31.

   

“The Amarnath Yatra is a coordinated effort of different security agencies and is conducted under the supervision of J&K administration and the Police. We are ready to fulfill the role given to the BSF in the best possible way. We have made sufficient preparations for the upcoming yatra,” IG BSF told reporters on the sidelines of a walkathon event organised from Nishat to Tulip Garden.

“Once our responsibilities are fixed, we will ensure that the yatra is conducted properly,” he said.

About the arrangements put in place for disaster management, Yadaw said there were specialised agencies for disaster management while different teams too had been created for the issue.

“We will place these teams in strategic locations, and in case of any emergency, accident, or natural disaster, our teams will be ready with the required equipment to respond quickly and effectively, minimising damage,” he said.

Yadaw said that security forces had upped their readiness to intercept any infiltration attempts as the potential of terrorist infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir had increased with the melting of the snow.

“On the LoC, we are vigilant. Data from the past indicates that as the snow melts, several conventional infiltration routes become accessible, allowing the infiltrators to enter. Together with the Army, we perform the roles of area dominance and anti-infiltration. Along some locations, the snow has begun to melt, leaving them open to intrusion. We map these locations and then adjust where we have our boys deployed. Snow melting raises the possibility of infiltration, but we have also strengthened our defences to thwart such attempts and ensure nobody sneaks through these routes,” he said.

About narco-terrorism, Yadaw said that they work diligently to counter any kind of attempt from the other side of the border, whether it was terrorism, narco-terrorism, or weapon smuggling.

“We take it very seriously and work to counter every attempt made from the other side of the border,” he said.

Briefing about the walkathon event, Yadaw said that the officers, subordinate officers, and soldiers from different units participated in the event, which was organised as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

“BSF Kashmir Frontier usually organises various programmes like Tiranga rally, cycle rally, and other events. Today’s event was one of the events conducted under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” he said. “Events like the walkathon aim to convey a message of peace, prosperity, and development from Kashmir to the entire nation of India. It encourages the youth to actively participate in such events as these events divert their attention from engaging in unwanted activities.”

Yadaw said that BSF wished to convey to the rest of the nation that Kashmir is a place of peace, prosperity, and growth.

“Our goal is to organise events that will also motivate Kashmiri youth,” he said.

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