As just three days remain before the commencement of this year's Shri Amarnath Yatra, Srinagar Police on Tuesday conducted a comprehensive multi-agency mock drill at the pilgrims' transit camp at Panthachowk as part of the preparations for the annual pilgrimage.
This year's Amarnath Yatra will commence simultaneously from the Pahalgam and Baltal routes on July 3 and will culminate on August 28, 2026, on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
For the last week, cops of the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been conducting mock drills at different locations across the Union Territory to face any situation during the Yatra. During mock drills, cops focus on emergencies that may arise in case of terror attacks in transit camps, the route of the Yatra, or on the base camps.
The main objectives of the mock drill were to assess emergency response procedures and protocols, to evaluate coordination among agencies, including J&K Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Fire and Emergency Services, Ambulance Services, Health Department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Traffic Department and Civil Administration, to test the effectiveness of communication systems and rescue operations and to ensure real-time response monitoring and procedural adherence.
Today's mock drill was conducted with the collaboration of different agencies involved in the smooth conduct of the Yatra to assess emergency preparedness and strengthen response mechanisms.
The exercise was aimed at evaluating operational readiness, inter-agency coordination, communication systems, and the effectiveness of emergency response during critical situations.
Teams from J&K Police, CAPFs, Traffic Police, Security Wing, Fire & Emergency Services, Health Department, SDRF, Civil Administration, Ambulance Services, and other stakeholder agencies participated in today's mock drill at Panthachowk, Srinagar
Agencies involved in the smooth conduct of this year's Shri Amarnath Yatra were briefed in detail on their respective roles and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the designated senior police officers. During the mock drill, particular emphasis was laid on response time, communication flow, coordinated action, and adherence to established emergency protocols.
The drill simulated multiple emergency scenarios, including road traffic accidents, suicidal attacks by terrorists, law and order contingencies, accidental injuries, evacuation, rescue operations, and medical emergencies, enabling all participating agencies to validate their preparedness and coordinated response under realistic conditions.
As part of the preparedness measures, arrangements relating to food, shelter, and medical assistance for pilgrims have also been streamlined through coordinated efforts of the Civil Administration, CAPD, Revenue, and Health Departments under the unified command of the Joint Police Control Room (Joint-PCR).
Following the exercise, a detailed debriefing session was conducted with all stakeholders to identify operational gaps, evaluate response mechanisms, and further refine the emergency response plan and SOPs.
The mock drill demonstrated the effectiveness of the existing emergency response framework while providing valuable inputs for further strengthening preparedness ahead of the Yatra.
Earlier on Monday, mock drills were conducted at various strategic locations along the Yatra route in Parimpora and Maloora areas of Srinagar.
The drill was conducted across strategic locations, simulating various emergency scenarios like Vehicle-borne IED, Stand-off Fire, Road Traffic Accidents, Fidayeen attacks, low and order, etc.
