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Srinagar, July 3 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha today visited Baltal and Pahalgam forward base camps to take stock of arrangements made for Amarnath devotees.

At Nunwan near Pahalgam, the Governor, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), saw tented colony, pre- fabricated cottages and wash blocks set up for pilgrims.

The SASB has supplemented the wash blocks by providing modern pre -fab and eco-friendly toilets and bathrooms to replace conventional deep trench lavatories.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure sanitation and hygiene by utilising services of a reputed firm for administering microbe culture.

For the purpose, the SASB was spending around Rs 38 lakh. Various agencies of the government such as the power development department, water works, food and supplies, civic bodies, health services, police, traffic police, tele-communication, public works besides the Pahalgham Development Authority were engaged in providing comfort to the visiting devotees.

The Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, and other senior officers apprised the Governor about arrangements made for the pilgrimage. He was also briefed about the disaster management programme formulated to meet the challenges during exigencies.

Gen Sinha also met pilgrims and 'bhandarawallas' and appreciated the social service being rendered by them. He lauded the role of locals in providing hospitality and other services to the pilgrims during the two-month-long long pilgrimage.

At Baltal, he stressed the need for upgrading infrastructure for the pilgrims and hoped that this would be done on priority.

The Governor gave on-the-spot instructions to improveme facilities and inspected the helipads from where two aviation companies were operating their services.

He discussed the disaster management programme and asked all the concerned to remain in preparedness for meeting the situation in the wake of weather vagaries.

SASB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Arun Kumar gave details about the infrastructure raised during the annual pilgrimage. The Board has undertaken 45 rest shelters at various points of the track, 2300 toilets and wash rooms besides single bed and double bed cottages at the forward base camps.

Gen Sinha emphasised the need for preserving ecology in the camping sites and en-route the holy cave shrine. He interacted with a number of pilgrims and enquired about the facilities.

This was the second visit of the Governor during past one month to the forward base camps to oversee the arrangements made for successful and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.

UNI