NGT raps Amarnath Board for lack of facilities to pilgrims

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today rapped the Amarnath Shrine Board for not providing proper infrastructural facilities to pilgrims travelling to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. The Green Panel took exception over non-compliance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2012 and asked the Board what steps they have taken in all these years. "You have allowed shops on path near the shrine. There are no proper facilities for toilets. Do you even know how humiliating this is for women. Why have you not provided proper infrastructural facilities for pilgrims. You are giving priority to commercial activities over pilgrims. This is unfair. The sanctity of the shrine has to be maintained," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said. The Green Panel formed a committee of experts headed by additional secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to submit action plan on providing facilities to the pilgrims. The bench said the Committee shall submit report on aspects like providing a proper path and declaring the cave as silent zone while maintaining cleanliness in area near the shrine after inspection. It also asked the Committee to consider installing eco-friendly toilets in the area. The NGT also directed the Shrine Board to submit a status report, by the first week of December, on the compliance of directions issued by the apex court in 2012. Amarnath cave shrine is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism. The cave itself is covered with snow most of the year except for a short period of time in summer when it is open for pilgrims. The directions came while hearing the plea filed by environment activist Gauri Maulekhi. Interestingly, on Monday, NGT had put a cap on the number of devotees who can visit Vaishno Devi in a day. As per the order of the tribunal, in a single day, not more than 50,000 devotees can visit the place. Additional number of devotees will be stopped in Katra town of Jammu and Kashmir.