Srinagar, June 3 (UNI) Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Saturday said the track restoration work on Amarnath Yatra route will be completed ahead of the commencement of this year's pilgrimage.
In a statement a spokesperson of BRO said that “it will complete the restoration works on Amarnath Yatra track by June 15 ahead of the 62-day-long scheduled pilgrimage commencing from July 1.
Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, DGBR visited Baltal and Chandanwari on Saturday and inspected the progress of work on both Yatra tracks.
He was briefed in detail by Chief Executive Beacon on the status of various tasks being undertaken by BRO and the envisaged completion plan before the commencement of the Yatra 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, DGBR commended the Karamyogis of Project Beacon for the restoration work being executed on the tracks.
He assured everyone that despite the loss of precious time due to inclement weather during April-May, the tracks will be made available to the Civil Administration by June 15 as desired.
He also informed that the restoration works for further improvement of the tracks will continue even after the completion of Yatra this year to facilitate better quality tracks for subsequent years.
The authorities had handed over the Amarnath Yatra tracks to BRO in September 2022 for maintenance and upgradation.
Earlier, the yatra track from Baltal to Holy Cave was maintained by PWD (R&B) and the one from Chandanwari to Holy Cave was maintained by Pahalgam Development Authority.
Restoration works on the tracks could, however, commence only in March 2023 after the necessary funds were released to BRO by the government.
The basic scope of work involved snow clearance, widening of the track, restoration of all foot bridges, fixing of hand rails, protection works at slide prone stretches and construction of breast
walls and retaining walls for protection of the track, the statement added.
The snow clearance, using plant machinery, commenced on both the tracks from base camp Baltal and Chandanwari in the last week of March.
“Concurrent to the progress of snow clearance of the tracks, additional plant equipment and manpower were employed for other restoration works. As on date, eight dozers/ excavators and almost 1100 laborers are working on the tracks. Though, unprecedented snow and rain in the
higher reaches in Kashmir during April & May has slowed the progress of work, BRO is committed
to completing the task in time”, the statement reads.
UNI QAB BM