news details |
|
|
| Mounting pilgrim deaths worry authorities, SASB | | |
Bashir Assad
SRINAGAR, July 16: The death of about 80 yatris, mostly due to cardiac arrest, in just 17 or 18 days of the yatra to the holy cave of Baba Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas and suo moto cognizance of reports taken by the Supreme Court lashing out at the Government for poor management, has left Shri Amarnath Shrine Board worried and it has asked authorities to address all health-related issues. "Death of as many as 80 yatris during first 17 days, mostly due to cardiac arrest, is worrisome and the Board has issued clear-cut instructions to various agencies associated with the management of Yatra to ensure proper medical and other facilities to the pilgrims "an official of the Shrine Board said.
"Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Governor, NN Vohra was worried about the deaths and it has already reviewed the arrangements and has issued instructions to all the concerned to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims during their yatra" the official said.
On the other hand Department of Health is doing all out efforts to reach out to the pilgrims through the most difficult trek from Chandanwari to holly cave.
Minister for Health and Horticulture Sham Lal Sharma while talking to Early Times today said that he was himself monitoring the arrangements made by the department to provide medicare to the yatris en-route holly cave. "Today I took CEO, SASB, NK Choudhary and MoS Health Javed Dar with me to take stock of the situation, I am monitoring the arrangements very minutely, however, given the difficult terrain, extreme weather conditions and rarefied oxygen at high altitudes has been one of the most common cause of death among the pilgrims" Sham Lal told Early Times.
"Cardiac arrest caused by rarefied oxygen at high altitude has been one of the most common natural causes of death among the pilgrims" a Health Department official told Early Times.
"Department is running dozens of medical camps along the twin yatra routes and we are taking every possible step to save the precious lives"
He, however, said that in many cases the pilgrims were found to be in possession of fake fitness certificates.
"We have seen cases where some people are suffering from diabetes and respiratory problems. This is not a place for them to come but we cannot stop them as they come with fitness certificates issued by medical practitioners," said the official.
Meanwhile, sources said the mounting death toll of the pilgrims prompted Governor NN Vohra, who is also chairman of the SASB, to direct all authorities to take steps to address health-related issues.
"The Governor has already convened many emergency meetings on pilgrim deaths, even this evening in a special rather emergency meeting, the arrangements for the annual yatra were reviewed and instruction were issued to the concerned departments to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims at all costs" sources said.
Besides the State Government, Army (Sector 1 RR) and paramilitary forces like CRPF and BSF have also chipped in by setting up a well-knit network of medical camps, which are functional round-the-clock along the two routes and have treated thousands of pilgrims.
The SASB has directed all camp directors to use the public address system to urge yatris to immediately contact the nearest health camp and take help in case they felt any kind of uneasiness or illness.
The healthcare facilities have been further augmented and over 1000 oxygen cylinders have been made available on the two routes to the shrine by the State Health Department.
"This was in addition to the oxygen cylinders available in the health camps established by the Army, paramilitary forces and NGOs," SASB officials said, adding oxymeters have also been made available at various locations to check oxygen levels of the yatris reporting at the health camps.
Additional specialist doctors have been deployed at the base camps and at critical places like Brarimarg, Sangam, Pissu Top, Zojibal and Nagakoti to attend to the seriously ill patients.
Various steps have also been taken to improve arrangements for shifting of critical patients to the base camps and, thereafter, to the identified hospitals in Srinagar for prompt and appropriate treatment.
It merits a mention here that while taking cognizance of the death of 67 Amarnath pilgrims in the first 17 days of the Yatra this year, the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government as well as the head of the Amarnath Shrine Board asking them to explain the lack of proper medical and other facilities to the pilgrims.
A bench of Justices BS Chauhan and Swantanter Kumar asked the Union Home Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary and Chairperson of the Amarnathji Shrine Board to appear before it in a week to answer questions on the unusually high number of casualties among the Amarnath pilgrims.
While 105 people died during the 45-day yatra last year, 80 yatris have lost their lives in the first 17 days this year.
"All these reports clearly showed disregard to the human life. Lack of facilities at the shrine and on the paths leading to the shrine is evident from all the aforestated articles and the photographs published therein," the bench said.
"In our considered view, the pilgrims have a Constitutional right under Articles 21 (right to life) and 19(1)(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India, free of fear, with dignity and safety and to ensure enforcement of such right is the primary obligation of the State and the Central Governments," the bench said.
"It is expected of a Government and the concerned authorities to devote more attention and provide appropriate amenities and facilities to protect the life of the individuals, the environment as well as ensure to make the yatra effective and successful, preferably without any human casualty.
"The authorities cannot shirk their responsibility of providing minimum essential facilities including medical assistance, roads and other necessary infrastructure. Visit of lacks of people to the State of Jammu & Kashmir generates revenue for the State, in fact, for the residents of that State and add to the need for better tourism facilities. The authorities are also expected to better equip the forces posted at the holy cave, base points and enroute to the holy cave," the Supreme Court said.
"Nearly 22,000 pilgrims visited the shrine daily while the limit, as per the administration itself, was reported to be 3,400 per day only. It is again a matter of great regret that obviously because of lack of proper aid and amenities, the death toll had gone upto 85 on 21st July, 2011," it said quoting a newspaper report.
"This Court has repeatedly held that in terms of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, a person has a right to live with dignity and not be subjected to inhuman treatment, particularly in such places where large number of people are bound to visit because of their faith.
"It can also be hardly disputed that huge revenue is generated as a result of visit of large number of pilgrims to the Holy Cave. The Amarnath Shrine Board receives huge amount of money not only by way of offerings but also from the charges/fee it takes from the pony-owners, palkiwallahs as well as the helicopter services available between Baltal and Panchtarni," it said.
"It is also evident that there is a complete lack of adequate essential amenities and facilities for the yatris who come to pay their tribute at the 'Holy Cave at Amarnath'. Lack of medical facilities and limitations of the officers/officials of the forces are some other facets which need to be considered by the concerned authorities, it added.
Terming it "a very sensitive place from the environmental point of view" the SC said the Government was duty-bound to control pollution.
"Right to life is enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution which embodies in itself the right to live with dignity. The State is not only expected but is under a Constitutional command to treat every citizen with human dignity and ensure equal treatment to all. In our considered view and as demonstrated by these newspaper reports, inhuman, unsafe and undesirable conditions are prevailing at the base camps and enroute to the Holy Cave.
"The yatris do have a right and the State is under Constitutional obligation to provide safe passages, proper medical aid, appropriate arrangement and at least some shelter to the thousands of yatris visiting the holy cave every day," the SC said.
The photographs also showed that hardly any amenities were available for the yatris in and around the holy cave, though thousands of people who throng the holy cave had to wait for hours and days for darshan, it added.
"They (authorities) are also expected to make appropriate arrangements for darshans at the Holy Cave so as to avoid health hazards and injuries, provide proper paths and one-way system passages to the pilgrims to the Holy Cave," the bench emphasized. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
