Amarnath shrine will be a 'silent zone', rules NGT

In deference to the Amarnath shrine's ecological fragility, the National Green tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday declared the area inside the cave as silent zone. It also directed the shrine board to ensure that pilgrims do not carry any belongings beyond the last check post.

The green court also pulled up the board for poor facilities for pilgrims and asked it to make proper arrangements, including provision for unhindered darshan.

"Nobody should be permitted to carry anything to the stairs leading to the holy cave, and everybody should be frisked at the entry point. The area from the stairs to the inside of the cave shall be declared silent zone," said a three-member bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar.

Devotees would have to deposit their belongings at a designated facility, acknowledged by a token. The bench was hearing a plea filed by environmental activist Gauri Maulekhi.

The bench also directed a committee of experts, chaired by an additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to submit an action plan within three weeks about providing facilities to pilgrims. The committee will also have to submit plans about construction of pathways and on declaration of the shrine precinct as a silence zone.

In November, NGT had pulled up the shrine board for lack of toilets, especially for women. It had also expressed displeasure about the non-compliance of directions passed by the Supreme Court about improving security measures in light of recent casualties.