Baltal (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 1 (ANI): As the Amarnath Yatra prepares to commence from July 3 via the Baltal and Pahalgam routes, local shopkeepers and authorities at the Baltal base camp said on Tuesday that they are fully geared up to welcome pilgrims with necessary arrangements in place.

They asserted that no pilgrim will face any issues during the Yatra.

Speaking to ANI, Baltal-based shopkeeper Abdur Rehman Lone expressed enthusiasm for the pilgrimage season and said preparations are complete.

'Security and all arrangements are in place. We are prepared, and shops and markets are all set up. We are awaiting the Yatra. Our livelihood depends on this. The pilgrims should definitely come here; there are no issues here,' he said.

Syed Shah, another shopkeeper at the base camp, noted that cleanliness and coordination with security forces remain a priority.

'The work is going on very well...We welcome the Yatra, pilgrims should come here. We are standing with them...We take special care of cleanliness and hygiene here...Security personnel are also working in good coordination,' Shah told ANI.

He added, 'Our markets have been set up. There are no issues here. Vehicles, accommodation and everything else are available here...We will not let anyone face any issues...'

Meanwhile, in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, security measures have been heightened given the pilgrimage. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Doda, Ajay Anand, informed that 24/7 checking is being carried out due to the Amarnath Yatra.

'Because of the Amarnath yatra, 24/7 checking is going on. When the bus was stopped for inspection, two boys, Amzad Ali and Vikas, also known as Sunny, emerged and began to run. We have recovered a total of 22 g of drug... They both were on our radar, and after this checking, we caught them,' DSP Anand said.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary described the Amarnath Yatra as a celebration of the region's unity and brotherhood.

Chaudhary reviewed the preparations for the yatra, praising the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for their exceptional work in redeveloping the track.

The Amarnath Yatra, a revered pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir, is set to begin on July 3, with thousands of devotees expected to participate.

Speaking to media reporters, Deputy CM Chaudhary said, 'This yatra is a festival of J-K. The beauty of this yatra is that the base camp is in Jammu and the shrine of Baba Amarnath is in Kashmir. This is the brotherhood of Jammu and Kashmir, which the world knows... I had come here to chair the review meeting of the yatra that starts on 3 July. I saw the track... It gives me immense pleasure to tell you that BRO has done an exemplary job at redeveloping the track.'

'The working days in Kashmir are extremely few, and now, when the Yatra begins, work will again stop... The state government and the shrine board are managing the yatra,' Chaudhary said.

The 38-day yatra will commence on July 3 and conclude on August 9. The pilgrimage will follow two routes - the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2. (ANI)