CISF Amarnath Yatra Security Review at Nunwan Base Camp in Pahalgam

CISF Amarnath Yatra security arrangements came under a top-level review on Saturday, when Director General, Central Industrial Security Force, Praveer Ranjan visited the Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam to take stock of the deployment guarding the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. He was accompanied by Additional Director General (North) Sudhir Kumar and the Deputy Inspector General commanding CISF North Zone-2.

The Nunwan camp is the staging ground for pilgrims on the traditional Pahalgam route. It anchors a security grid that CISF mans with the CRPF, the ITBP and the Jammu and Kashmir Police under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while the pilgrimage itself is run by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

What the CISF Amarnath Yatra Security Review Covered

The CISF Amarnath Yatra security review ran across the full spread of the arrangement. Praveer Ranjan looked at the deployment plan, access control at the camp, the communication network, the surveillance systems and the medical support laid on for pilgrims, and he examined how the CAPFs, the J&K Police, the civil administration and the other stakeholders are working together on the ground. Surveillance is one area where the force has invested heavily in drone and counter-drone training for its personnel.

Coordination between the agencies drew particular attention, since the Yatra pulls several forces and the local administration into a single chain of command for the run of the pilgrimage.

Deployment, Check Posts and Control Rooms Inspected

The DG walked the key deployment locations and check posts, the CRPF communication centre, the Quick Reaction Teams and Quick Action Teams held in readiness, the CCTV control room, the JPCR and the logistics set-up at the base camp.

Anti-sabotage measures, area domination, crowd management and route security were flagged as the priorities, along with the readiness of the teams to move fast on any contingency along the route.

Barracks, Pilgrim Camps and Personnel

Praveer Ranjan went through the jawan barracks and the pilgrim camps, and stopped to meet the health workers and the woman personnel on duty, speaking to them and lifting the mood at a posting that runs long hours in hard terrain.

Review Meeting and Directions to the Ranks

A security review meeting followed. ADG Sudhir Kumar, Inspector General (Kashmir Operations Sector) Vineet Brijlal, IG CRPF Gyanendra Kumar Verma, IG ITBP Akun Sabharwal, DIG CISF North Zone-2 M K Yadav, DIG CRPF Ashish Bharti and Senior Superintendent of Police, Anantnag, Amod Nagpure were among the officers present.

The DG told all ranks to hold strictly to Standard Operating Procedures, to stay alert through the pilgrimage, and to keep the safety, security and convenience of pilgrims at the front of every decision. He asked for a high level of operational readiness, vigilance and clean coordination between the agencies from start to finish.

A Force Stretched Across Many Security Roles

The Yatra posting is one strand of a wider CISF remit. The force guards airports, metro networks, nuclear sites and other critical installations, and has recently moved into maritime security through a tie-up with the Indian Maritime University. This visit also follows the broader review ordered earlier for the pilgrimage, when the Amarnath Yatra security grid was drawn up ahead of the season.

Praveer Ranjan closed the visit by commending the professionalism and dedication of the personnel, and conveyed his confidence that the forces would see the Yatra through safely and without incident.