SRINAGAR,INDIA, August 3, 2012 (Economic Times): A massive sanitation drive has been launched en route to the 12,700 feet-high Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas to safeguard environment and ecology of the area. “A post-yatra sanitation drive has been launched in collaboration with the security forces and development authorities to clean up the camp sites and tracks,” Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) Chief Executive Officer N. K. Choudhary said.
Several Hindu religious leaders and environmentalists have expressed grave concern over tons of wastes like plastic bottles, wrappers and other non-biodegradable pollutants left behind by the pilgrims at base camps and various halting stations en route to the cave shrine, thereby threatening the ecology of the yatra area.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir governor and SASB chairman N. N. Vohra has convened a post-yatra review meeting here on August 8 to assess camp-wise and route-wise the adequacy of the arrangements that were made for the conduct of 2012 yatra. Over 621,000 pilgrims visited the holy cave during this year’s yatra, which culminated yesterday, coinciding with the occasion of ‘Raksha bhandan’.