Following the death of 28 Amarnath pilgrims, mainly due to cardiac arrest, Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting of the senior officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), of which he is chairman.
Later, a fresh appeal was issued to all intending pilgrims to avoid embarking on the arduous journey through rugged hills touching a height of 14,000 square feet at places if they are having any medical problems.
A spokesperson of the SASB said that the governor expressed his serious concern on the death of 28 pilgrims during the first nine days of the annual yatra to the cave-shrine up in Kashmiri Himalayas. The meeting also reviewed the first nine days of the yatra and problems if the pilgrims have faced any.
The governor in view of the increasing number of deaths, mostly due to cardiac failures, directed the CEO of the board to take immediate steps for further publicising the do’s and don’ts and the health advisory issued by it for the pilgrims.
It was reiterated that all intending pilgrims who wish to undertake the yatra “must follow and fully adhere to the do’s and don’ts and the health advisory issued by the SASB, and also available at the board’s website, before deciding to undertake the journey”.
“All those intending to undertake the yatra were once again urged to take all required precautions and no person who has any medical or orthopaedic ailment, or any breathing, chest or heart problem should even think of undertaking this arduous yatra, which involves climbing upto nearly 14,000 feet,” the board said in a statement here.
It added, “Trekking in the high altitude route to the holy cave is difficult and, besides, inclement weather also poses challenges for the pilgrims.” The statement further said that doctors and paramedical staff along both the two routes, via Pahalgam and Baltal, have been deployed for providing emergency medicare and treatment to the pilgrims and that any yatri feeling uneasy must immediately seek medical assistance.