Pahalgam:
A record-breaking 3.5 lakh pilgrims have already made the Amarnath Yatra this year, and there are still four weeks to go till the yatra ends.
The heavy traffic can be attributed to the fact that this year, after three consecutive years of unrest, the Valley is peaceful.
There are no mass agitations, neither any militant attacks, not just on the yatra route but in the whole of Kashmir. But the security forces are not taking any chances.
A high alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir after the Mumbai terror attack. The priority is to secure the ongoing Amarnath Yatra from any possible militant strikes.
Forty nine additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed for the security of the yatra.
Nights are most crucial, as it is the time when the rush of the pilgrims is the highest. Also, it's the time when the probability of a militant strike is the most. So clearly, the CRPF jawans have got to stay even more vigilant during the nights.
After sunset, fresh batch of pilgrims start arriving.
The Amarnath Yatra has remained on the hit list of the militants over the last two decades and there are inputs about the presence of militants in the area.
"We are ready to deal with any act of militancy and if militants strike we are fully equipped to counter that fully," said Rajesh Dogra, Assistant Commandant, CRPF.
"There is a sense of security everywhere, the police and the CRPF are everywhere so there is no difficulty for us," says Sanjeev Sharma, a pilgrim.
Clearly the jawans cannot afford to lower their guard even for a minute as it's this sense of security that's drawing pilgrims from all corners of the country.