The number of persons who took Amarnath pilgrimage during each of the last three years and the current year is as under:-

2009                                                    3,92,653

2010                                                    4,51,710

2011                                                    6,35,611

2012                                                    6,21,145

The number of pilgrims who died in the course of the pilgrimage is as under:-

2009                                        45

2010                                        77

2011                                        106

2012                                          93

Specific reason for the deaths are not maintained in the Ministry.  However, it is ascertained that the reasons identified, related to high altitude ailmentents of :-

i)                    Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

ii)                  High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACO)

iii)                High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPO)

Government of J&K had established 15 medical camps along the route.  These were supplemented by 32 medical camps set up by the Army, CRPF and BSF.  A total of 33 medical ambulances were provided at the base camps and more than one thousand oxygen cylinders were kept on the yatra route.  In addition to the above, 37 medical aid centres were at up along the national highway in J&K.  A total of 98 Doctors were deputed.  For yatris developing serious medical complications, arrangements were made to evacuate them by helicopters/dandies to base camps for onward transfer to Medical College Hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.

In 1996, Nitish K. Sengupta Committee Report had recommended a figure of 10,000 yatris to be permitted along Chandanwari-Holy cave route, in the content of the assessment in 1996 i.e. available track capacity along the traditional route i.e. Chandanwari-Holy cave.  For Yatra 2012, the Shrine Board had approved 7500 pilgrims per day per route plus about 1400-1600 per day who travel by helicopter services.

This was stated by Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State of Home Affairs in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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KSD/Samir/PT