04-07-2025
Extra surveillance during peak tourist season at Gulmarg ski resort
After the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, the security agencies would be taking extra surveillance during the peak tourist season at ski resort of Gulmarg which is one of the most visited tourist resort of the J&K. Police is laying extra emphasis on coordinated, multi-layered security across vulnerable zones, including cable car terminals, forest tracks, densely populated tourist spots and major access routes, besides maintaining continuous surveillance, real-time intelligence exchange and synchronized patrol efforts of all forces. (File)
The picturesque resort witnessed record tourist arrivals in past two years, however after the April 22 attach that claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists and a local ponnywala at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, all the tourists cancelled advance bookings and there was low influx of tourists.
However, from past one month tourists both locals and non locals have again started visiting the resort and with the beginning of Amarnath yatra the tourist arrival is again rising on daily basis, so security forces are taking extra precautions to safeguard the resort and it's adjoining areas.
Police is laying extra emphasis on coordinated, multi-layered security across vulnerable zones, including cable car terminals, forest tracks, densely populated tourist spots and major access routes, besides maintaining continuous surveillance, real-time intelligence exchange and synchronized patrol efforts of all forces.
On Wednesday, DIG North Kashmir Range Maqsood-ul-Zaman and DIG North Kashmir Operations Range (CRPF) Raghuvansh Kumar jointly convened a high-level security coordination meeting in Gulmarg, Baramulla, to reinforce safety measures across the Gulmarg bowl and its environs.
The meeting was attended by officers of different security agencies and tourism departments and private stakeholders attended the meeting with the shared objective of ensuring a robust and seamlessly integrated security grid and tourist activities.
'During the discussions, DIG Maqsood-ul-Zaman underscored the need for coordinated, multi-layered security across vulnerable zones, including cable car terminals, forest tracks, densely populated tourist spots and major access routes and stressed the importance of maintaining continuous surveillance, real-time intelligence exchange and synchronised patrol efforts that unite the capabilities of all uniformed forces and also emphasized adherence to the highest standards of professionalism and readiness in response protocols. Both DIGs affirmed their commitment to enhancing security coverage, refining emergency and incident response systems, and optimising crowd and vehicle check mechanisms,' police spokesperson said adding that the security grid was expanded to incorporate strategically positioned checkpoints and the activation of rapid response teams.
'Communications channels between field units and command centres have been fortified to enable instantaneous reporting and coordination,' he added.
Concluding the meeting, DIG NKR and DIG NKOR collectively reaffirmed the security establishment's resolve to secure tourists and residents. 'They (officers) pledged to continually monitor evolving threats and proactively adjust deployments to prevent any recurrence of violence in and around Gulmarg Bowl.'
