Following is the
text of the statement made by Union Home Minster Sh. Sushil Kumar Shinde in
Rajya Sabha today on the notice of calling attention by Shri Prakash Javadekar,
MP regarding inadequate facilities and safety measures along the Amarnath Yatra
route resulting in death of pilgrims.
“There
have been statements from various quarters regarding the duration of the
Amarnath Yatra and there have been demands for having the yatra for a fixed
period.
The
yatra is organized by the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board; which is a body
created by an Act of the State Legislature.
The Board has the Governor of the State as the Chairperson and ten members. The present members are:
(i)
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
(ii)
Justice (Retd.) G.D. Sharma
(iii)
Ms. Sunita Narain
(iv)
Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan
(v)
Shri Vijay Dhar
(vi)
Pt. Bhajan Sopori
(vii)
Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai
The
beginning and the end of the Yatra are determined by two factors – the date on
which the routes get clear of snow and the date on which the Raksha Bandhan
falls. The yatra begins on the date on which the route is clear of snow and it
ends on the date of the Raksha Bandhan. It
has been our experience that the routes get clear either in the last week of
June or in the first week of July. In
the year 2003, the yatra started on 12th July and in 2004, it
started on the 15th of July. In the year 2010, the yatra began on
the 1st of July. This year,
the yatra started on the 25th of June.
On
each of these occasions, the yatra closed on the Raksha Bandhan day. The Yatra duration in a given year can longer
or shorter, depending on the date in August on which Shravan Purnima (Raksha
Bandhan) falls.
In 2011, the Shrine Board constituted a
Committee headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to determine the duration of the
yatra. A copy of the Committee’s Report is
placed at Annex-I with my statement and laid on the Table of the House. The Committee’s report was discussed by the
Shrine Board at length and it was noted that the duration of the yatra would be
determined by the following factors:
(i)
The extent of the snowfall received in the Yatra area
during the preceding winter (Nov. to March)
(ii)
The weather conditions during April-May and the status
of snow melt.
(iii)
The period necessarily required by the Army/Security
Forces to get on the ground to establish the security-grid/area security.
(iv)
The date on which Raksha Bandhan falls in the year (the
Board noted that assuming a fixed date of commencement of the Yatra, the
longest duration of the pilgrimage shall be in the year in which this festival
falls around end August).
The board fully endorsed the Ravi
Shankar sub-committee recommendations and decided that the Yatra 2012 should
commence on 25th June and conclude on Raksha Bandhan, i.e. on 2nd
August.
The next issue
which has been raised is regarding the casualties in the yatra. The number of pilgrims who made the
pilgrimage and the number of pilgrims who died in the past four years are as
follows:
Year No. of Pilgrims No. of casualties
2009 392653 45
2010 451710 77
2011 635611 106
2012 621145 93
The
above figures pertain to deaths in the yatra area and do not include casualties
due to accidents on the national highway, etc. while approaching the yatra
area. It will be seen that the number of casualties though unfortunate; have
not been excessive as compared to the previous years. In fact, it has come down
marginally this year compared to last year.
The Shrine Board
as well as the State Government advertised widely the fact that the yatra is in
difficult terrain at an altitude where the oxygen levels are low and that only
those yatris who are medically fit should undertake the yatra.
A
copy of the health advisory which was issued to the Yatris is placed at
Annex-II and laid on the Table of the House.
This advisory was distributed through pamphlets; displayed on the website
of the Shrine Board and printed on the back of the registration form. The
Shrine Board made it compulsory for yatris to produce a medical certificate
indicating fitness of the yatris before they are registered by the Board for
undertaking the yatra. The State Government of J&K had set up a High Level Committee
in 2011 to review the health and other arrangements for the yatra and in
accordance with its recommendations the State Government had established 15
medical camps along the route. These
were supplemented by 32 medical camps set up by the Army, CRPF and BSF. All these camps had adequate number of
doctors, staff and medicines. A total of
33 medical ambulances were provided at the base camps and more than one
thousand oxygen cylinders were kept on the yatra route. In addition to the above, 37 medical aid
centres were set up along the national highway in J&K. For yatris developing
serious medical complications, arrangements were made to evacuate them by
helicopters/dandies to base camps for onward transfer to Medical College
Hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.
The overall
arrangements for the yatra were also upgraded from the year 2011. For the first time, transit camps were
established for overnight stay of Yatries at Walnut Factory, Qazigund, Mir
Bazar, Anantnag District, Manigam and Yangoora, Ganderbal District.
Emergency Shelters
were set up in 19 locations in the yatra area, 13 on the Pahalgam route and 6
on Baltal route. Arrangements were made for 24 x 7 control room. Telephone services were provided on entire
yatra route as well as provision of helicopter services. Both the Shrine Board and the State Govt.
took all possible steps to make the yatra as convenient and safe for the
pilgrims as possible.
By order dated
20th July, 2012, the Supreme Court has desired that a Special High
Powered Committee may go into the arrangements of the yatra and suggest
improvements for the future. The
Committee is expected to submit its report by the first week of September 2012
after which any additional steps which are recommended will be taken for the
yatra in the future years”.
*****
KSD/Samir/PT