Srinagar, Nov 6: – The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has achieved a historic milestone with the first set of vehicles reaching the holy Amarnath cave, marking the completion of the road widening work on the Amarnath cave routes.
Project Beacon, a part of the BRO tasked with restoring and improving Amarnath Yatra tracks, successfully completed the formidable task, allowing vehicles to reach the holy cave for the first time.
BRO used a truck and a small pickup vehicle to transport necessary stores for the ongoing work near the Amarnath cave. The accomplishment is considered significant, given the challenging terrain and the need to complete the work before the onset of snowfall.
The road widening effort, led by BRO, has covered nearly a 13-kilometer stretch from the Sangam base to the Amarnath cave via the Baltal route. The widened road is expected to reduce travel time for pilgrims participating in the annual Amarnath Yatra.
The cave of Shri Amarnath Ji, located at an altitude of about 3,888 meters above sea level, holds immense significance for Hindus, attracting thousands of devotees annually. The Amarnath Yatra takes place through two routes—the Pahalgam track in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district.
In April this year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced a project to build the 110 km-long Amarnath Marg leading to the holy cave at a cost of around Rs 5300 crore. The initiative aims to enhance the convenience of pilgrims traveling to the Shri Amarnath Shrine.
