Srinagar, June 17: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday declared both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes of the Amarnath Yatra as ‘No Flying Zones’ from July 1 to August 10, prohibiting the use of UAVs, drones, balloons and other aerial platforms.
The order, issued on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, comes ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to begin on July 3, and marks the first major pilgrimage after the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the India-Pakistan border conflict in May.
Exceptions will only be made for medical evacuations, disaster response, and security surveillance. The decision, recommended by the Ministry of Home Affairs and other stakeholders, aims to bolster security for yatris.
A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said: “After the Pahalgam attack, we are leaving no room for error. Every threat is being examined and preventive steps taken.”
Under Operation Shiva, nearly 50,000 paramilitary personnel, alongside the J&K Police, will conduct daily anti-IED road opening operations. For the first time, jammers will be deployed to protect the yatra convoy. Forces have already secured key stretches of the route, with multi-layered security arrangements in place across the Union Territory.
