Srinagar, June 9: To bolster security for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have deployed facial recognition systems (FRS) along the Pahalgam route, a senior official said on Monday. The move comes ahead of the July 3 start of the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
The AI-powered system has been programmed with images of active terrorists and suspected overground workers (OGWs). It will alert security forces instantly if any blacklisted individual is detected by the cameras. “As soon as a match is found, a hooter will go off at the surveillance centre so the threat can be neutralized in real time,” said an official involved in the surveillance operation.
The facial recognition system identifies individuals by scanning their facial features from photos or videos and cross-referencing them with an internal database. Officials say the system is capable of recognizing suspects even in low-light or crowded conditions.
Efforts are also underway to install similar systems along the Baltal route, the shorter path to the shrine, before the 38-day Yatra begins. Last year, the pilgrimage ran for 52 days.
Despite terror concerns following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which left several injured, over 3 lakh pilgrims have already registered for the Yatra this year. Authorities are determined not to let security threats dampen the spirit of the religious event.
“Amarnath Yatra has been targeted by terrorists in the past. We are committed to providing foolproof security to every pilgrim,” the official said.
The annual Yatra has previously witnessed deadly terror attacks. In August 2000, terrorists struck the Nunwan base camp, killing 32 people, including 24 pilgrims. A year later, 13 lives were lost in a similar assault at the Sheshnag base camp.
In 2002, 11 more pilgrims were killed in Chandanwari. The most recent high-profile attack occurred in July 2017, when militants ambushed a bus in Kulgam, killing eight yatris.
High-Tech Vigil Across the Route
The FRS is the latest addition to an elaborate security grid. The entire route from Jammu to the cave shrine is under 24×7 CCTV surveillance. In previous years, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags were used to track vehicles and individual pilgrims.
Officials believe that combining human intelligence with advanced surveillance tools like FRS can provide the layered security needed to ensure a safe and peaceful pilgrimage.
The Yatra concludes on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
