Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), June 30 (ANI): A trial run was conducted at Yatri Niwas, the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu, to check the preparedness for the upcoming annual pilgrimage. Buses were sent out under full security cover as part of the exercise to ensure all arrangements are in place.

The first batch of pilgrims will be flagged off from the Jammu base camp on July 2. The Yatra will formally begin on July 3 from both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.

Deputy Commissioner of Jammu, Sachin Kumar Vaishy, said that all preparations for the yatra have been completed. 'Today, tokens will be distributed at Saraswati Dham. We appeal to people to come in large numbers; we will provide them with all the necessary facilities, and no one will face any issues. We have full preparations for everything,' he told reporters.

On Sunday, in a preemptive move to ensure the safety of the pilgrims, a joint mock landslide drill was conducted by the Indian Army, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Response Force (JKSDRF). The exercise was carried out at Samroli, Toldi Nallah, along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, one of the critical routes for the Yatra.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir, Nalin Prabhat, on Saturday, held a joint security review meeting in Udhampur for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra scheduled to start from July 1 to August 9.

The meeting was held to check preparations and boost coordination among all agencies involved.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Udhampur-Resai range Sarah Rizvi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Udhampur Amod Nagpure, Additional SP Udhampur, other senior Officers of the District Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and traffic police.

SSP Udhampur gave a detailed presentation highlighting the district's security plan, including deployment of forces, convoy and traffic management, safety of camps and langar sites, emergency plans, and readiness of Quick Reaction Teams.

Addressing the meeting, the DGP emphasised to all the officers to maintain very close coordination, which he said is of utmost importance to ensure an incident-free Yatra.

He directed that the zonal/sectoral officers must have the information regarding the availability and location of special teams like Drone Units, BD squad, Dog squad, QRTs etc., to ensure that services of these teams are utilised on a real-time basis in case of any emergency. (ANI)