Not regulating pilgrim traffic to Amarnath this year has proven dear to the Jammu and Kashmir government, as it is finding lacunae in facilities for pilgrims. The base camps of Nunwan, Chandanwari or the health resort of Pahalgam, are sending away pilgrims for want of space and they are forced to spend nights in the adjoining jungle. Traffic from Aishmuqum to Chandanwari remains clogged for hours daily, due to police mismanagement. The lack of a ban on local picnickers, unlike in earlier years, in Pahalgam has only worsened the crisis.‘‘The Nunwan base camp can accommodate very few. Once it is full, people are left to fend for themselves in the jungles where wild animals and militants are at large. What kind of arrangements has the government made?’’ charged Satnarayan Das of Darbhanga, Bihar, on his return from the cave shrine.‘‘It took us four hours to reach Pahalgam from Aishmuqum, a distance of 16 km,’’ said another pilgrim, Bhumbita Bhavua of Baroda, Gujarat. ‘‘Police stop the pilgrims for hours and allow only VIP vehicles to pass. This leads to frequent traffic jams,’’ she added. The pilgrims say there are very few lavatories and langars. Shortage of drinking water and ponies also plagued the devotees. Invariably, this leads to profiteering, they said, castigating the J-K government for allowing more pilgrims. ‘‘If the government was not sure of facilities, it should have returned the extra pilgrims,’’ added Bhavua.Though the government had fixed the pilgrim quota at 1.12 lakh this year, a large number of unregistered pilgrims arrived. This group is twice the number of registered pilgrims, according to officials.As per Nitish Sen Gupta Committee, the J-K government is required to permit 3,500 pilgrims daily — 2,700 from Pahalgam and 800 from Baltal. However, Anantnag deputy commissioner Shalendra Kumar said Pahalgam alone receives 8,000-9,000 pilgrims daily. ‘‘We are helpless in stopping pilgrims because the religious sentiment attached to the yatra is very high,’’ he said.Kumar said the problem can be best addressed in Jammu than at Anantnag. He said the carrying capacity of Pahalgam is not more than 2,500-3,000 and the remaining pilgrims will have no option but to cry for facilities.‘‘I have written to government to extend the yatra by 45 days in future,’’ Kumar added.
