Srinagar: Last week, Deepak Banchta, a pilgrim from Chopal, faced a familiar challenge on his Amarnath Yatra.
Since there was non connectivity enroute he he and his buddy Guddu could not talk to the families back in Shimla.
It was an army man on duty, who offered his phone to make call back home. In fact, pilgrims are asked to surrender the phone at the screening point before they proceed on the trail to the Amarnath cave.
Realising the problems faced by the pilgrims, the Ministry of Home Affairs took up the matter with the Ministry communications.
But now, thanks to a major telecom upgrade, such difficulties are becoming a thing of the past.
To ease the journey for pilgrims like Deepak, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has enhanced mobile infrastructure along the Amarnath Yatra routes.
Here’s what’s new:
With 31 new sites added, the total number of telecom sites has increased to 82 informed the spokesperson of the ministry.
This upgrade ensures uninterrupted mobile service from Lakhanpur to Qazigund and from Qazigund to Pahalgam and Baltal. Many areas now even have 5G connectivity.
New SIM Distribution Centers:
To facilitate mobile access, new SIM distribution centers have been opened at locations including Lakhnapur, Yatri Niwas in Bhagwati Nagar, Chanderkot, Anantnag, and Srinagar Airport.
Enhanced Services:
Major operators such as Airtel, BSNL, and Reliance JIO have installed 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G services at critical points like the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps, Nunwan Base Camp, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni.
With these improvements, pilgrims can now stay connected with their families throughout their spiritual journey, marking a significant advancement in the 2024 Amarnath Yatra experience.
