Amarnath Yatra: ITBP Himveers assisted over 130 pilgrims with oxygen support since June 30

As the auspicious 43-day-long Amarnath Yatra commenced on June 30 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, thousands of pilgrims are flocking to South Kashmir. The Yatra has now been segmented into two different routes, one from Pahalgam and the other from Ganderbal, and both are placed at high altitudes.

Pilgrims who decide to scale Amarnath are often prone to health issues due to the high altitude leading to a dip in oxygen levels. However, to ensure the safety of pilgrims, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel remain vigilant, providing oxygen support to all those in need. The ITBP has reportedly assisted over 100 Amarnath pilgrims with oxygen support and will continue to do so over the next 43 days.

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended for a day due to inclement weather conditions. However, the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu notified via a tweet that the Yatra had resumed today (July 6). Weather reports along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes were not considered suitable and thus the movement of pilgrims was restricted. Not only that, but the whole country is facing heavy rainfall and Jammu Kashmir has been equally affected. Movement along the Srinagar-Leh highway was also reportedly disrupted and the weather department has also issued an alert about flash floods due to heavy rains.

ITBP Himveers to the rescue

The ITBP and its 'Himveers' have been at the forefront in assisting pilgrims on the Amarnath Yatra. Every year, they help lakhs of people who scale Amarnath and this year is no exception. Reportedly, the ITBP is said to have provided oxygen support to more than 130 pilgrims till July 5.

An ITBP spokesperson while talking about the same said, "The route along Sheshnag (12,324 feet) to Mahaguns top (14,0000 is frequented by the ITBP troops where such cases of breathlessness are being seen."

Kumar further explained that their men had been briefed to look for such pilgrims who show high altitude sickness and their troops are on high alert. To mitigate this discomfort, the ITBP personnel are patrolling the areas with oxygen cylinders and providing oxygen to the needy pilgrims along with checking their blood pressure.

(Image: ANI)