SC asks J&K to build safe road to Amarnath pilgrims

The Jammu and Kashmir government has been asked by the Supreme Court on November 22 to pave all the passage from Panchtarni to Amarnath holy cave with pre-fabricated cement tiles to ensure that pilgrims do not slip on the way.

A bench of justices BS Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar also said that side support too should be provided for the pilgrims.

The apex court said that some sort of iron chain or pillar be also put in place to give support to the pilgrims and to prevent them from falling into sideways abyss and ditches. The court was hearing a case which it took suo motu cognisance of on media reports on pilgrims’ deaths allegedly due to lack of proper facilities and medical care for them.

The apex court had earlier appointed a high-power committee to look into the issue of growing number of casualties of Amarnath pilgrims.