SRINAGAR: As preparations intensify for the 2025 edition of the Amarnath Yatra, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has voiced serious concern over the government’s unprecedented decision to disallow helicopter services for pilgrims this year. Calling the move “absurd” and counterproductive to the image of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar on Tuesday questioned the rationale behind suspending a facility that has long helped thousands of yatris reach the holy cave shrine.
“It is good that the Amarnath Yatra is about to begin. We also want it to go smoothly,” Omar said while addressing reporters in Srinagar. “There is only one thing that I find absurd—that helicopter services are not permitted this year. This sends the wrong message to the rest of the nation. For the first time in many years, helicopters are not permitted from Pahalgam and Baltal. This should not send a wrong message to the rest of the nation regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
The 38-day yatra is scheduled to begin on July 3 and culminate on August 8, with pilgrims trekking to the cave shrine through two main routes—the 48-kilometre traditional trail via Pahalgam in Anantnag and the steeper 14-kilometre path from Baltal in Ganderbal. The first batch of pilgrims is set to depart from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp on July 2 and reach the twin base camps in Nuwan and Baltal that evening.
However, this year’s yatra is taking place under an enhanced security cover following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 tourists and a local man lost their lives. The Jammu and Kashmir administration, in coordination with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has declared a sweeping no-fly zone over all pilgrimage routes. An official order issued by the Home Department has banned all aviation devices—including helicopters, drones, UAVs and balloons—between July 1 and August 10. The only exceptions allowed will be in the case of emergencies such as medical evacuations or disaster management, with a detailed SOP to be issued separately.
The decision has had a direct impact on the Amarnath Shrine Board’s logistics. The board has formally announced that it will not offer helicopter services from either the Pahalgam or Baltal routes this year—a first in the recent history of the yatra. “Pilgrims planning to visit the holy shrine during the Yatra are advised to take note,” the board said in its advisory. “Pilgrims may reach the holy cave shrine on foot or avail the services of ponies and palkis.”
A high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday in New Delhi assessed the overall security preparedness for the yatra. Senior officers from the Army, CRPF, BSF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Intelligence Bureau participated in the discussions. Advanced security measures have been deployed, including the installation of jammers, CCTV surveillance, facial recognition systems, and RFID tracking for each pilgrim.
Officials said 581 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces will be deployed along the yatra corridor and at various base camps. Pilgrim convoys will move under armed escort, and all camping areas will remain under round-the-clock watch. The pilgrimage is one of the largest annual security operations in the Kashmir Valley, drawing lakhs of devotees each year.
The government’s emphasis on security follows a pattern of heightened precautions in recent years, especially since the July 2017 terror attack that killed eight pilgrims. However, critics argue that while protecting the yatra is paramount, the cancellation of helicopter services may adversely affect senior citizens and those with medical conditions, and convey an unintended message of instability.
Omar Abdullah’s intervention is the first major political reaction to the no-fly order and is likely to find resonance across sections of the population who see the helicopter ban as unnecessary overreach. Whether the administration will reconsider the decision remains to be seen, but for now, the 2025 Amarnath Yatra will proceed with foot, pony, and palki travel alone, amid an unparalleled security blanket and a strict no-fly regime.
