New Delhi, July 2 (NVI) As this year’s annual Amarnath Yatra starts, energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) today said it is developing Disaster Management and Yatri Niwas complexes at four key locations in Jammu & Kashmir under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
The assets being developed at Baltal, Nunwan, Bijbehara, and Sidhra will be operated by the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board under the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, ONGC said in a statement.
These facilities will provide lodging, sanitation, and emergency support to people undertaking Amarnath Yatra, it said.
The Amarnath Yatra to the Holy Cave of Lord Shiva located on a mountain top in South Kashmir is undertaken by over 5 lakh devotees from all over the country every year. It starts on the first day of the auspicious month of ‘Shraavan’ and culminates on Raksha Bandhan day.
This year’s Yatra will begin tomorrow.
The Baltal Yatri Niwas and Disaster Management Complex, spread across 6,315 square metres, is now fully operational and includes a Yatri Niwas, VIP guest house, security infrastructure, and disaster-response facilities, the statement said.
The Baltal facility will be formally inaugurated on July 4, 2025 by Union Oil & Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in the presence of ONGC Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh.
Construction is progressing at Nunwan (8,500 sq. m) and Bijbehara (7,640 sq. m), with both sites expected to be completed by September 2025, the ONGC said.
The Sidhra complex in Jammu, designed to serve as a vital hub for boarding, emergency management, and logistical coordination, is targeted for completion by September 2026, it said.
Earlier, last year, ONGC constructed permanent 100-bed hospitals at Baltal (Ganderbal district of Kashmir) and Chandanwari (Anantnag district of Kashmir), in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
These facilities, which include ICUs and staff accommodations, replacing the earlier temporary medical camps and now serve as year-round Primary Health Centres for yatris and local residents alike.
This permanent infrastructure will also benefit the local population throughout the year, the ONGC statement said. (NVI)
