Sanitation campaign launched for Amarnath Yatra

SRINAGAR: In an effort to minimise the environmental damage caused by the Amarnath pilgrimage, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, in conjunction with Pahalgam Development Authority and Sonamarg Development Authority, has launched a sanitation drive.

The board released an official statement on Tuesday, July 23, which said that the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has started a four-day mid-yatra sanitation-cum-camp cleaning drive from July 21 that will conclude today, July 24. Under the supervision of works wing of SASB, the camp officers and officers of the Pahalgam Development Authority, Municipality Committee Pahalgam and Sonamarg Development Authority, the representatives of various State Government Departments and Security Agencies deployed in the Yatra Camps are heading the cleaning and sanitation operations.

Umang Narula, CEO of the shrine board, said that the entire campaign was being implemented in close collaboration with the Pahalgam Development Authority and Sonamarg Development Authority in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

All plastic and other non-biodegradable wastes including plastic bottles are being regularly collected from the camps, from the tracks and all along the hill slopes, and brought down to Baltal and Nunwan where these are crushed in the shredding machines specially designed for the purpose.