The aim of the squad is to provide medical help in case of an emergency (File)
The union government is leaving no stone unturned to make Amarnath Yatra foolproof. Apart from massive deployment of personnel and radio frequency identification tags on the vehicles, the government has come up with a special motorcycle squad as part of its security arrangements. The squad will have Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who will escort batches of pilgrims to Jammu base camp.
The squad will have a camera mounted on the helmets to record every activity. The two-wheelers will help them respond quickly to any attack or mishap. It will also carry first aid items for immediate treatment.
A constable told a news agency that the aim of the squad is to provide medical help in case of an emergency. Since they would be carrying weapons, they could also respond to an attack.
The first batch of Amarnath Yatra will be flagged off on June 27 from Jammu base camp, while the pilgrimage will begin from June 28.
The home ministry has directed the security forces to ensure that every vehicle carrying Amarnath yatris should be equipped with a radio frequency identification tag or RFID, which can verify the vehicles.
Also, to ensure better coordination among the forces, the home ministry has decided that a joint control room would be set up at the base camps of the yatra, both at Baltal and Pehalgam.
"All vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims will have one RF tag for its close monitoring for better security," a senior official handling the pilgrimage arrangements told NDTV.
According to him, RF tag uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track objects attached to it. "An RF tag attached to an automobile can be used to track its progress," he said.
With inputs from ANI