The Hindu : New Delhi News : First batch off Mansarovar Yatra leaves tomorrow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

First batch off Mansarovar Yatra leaves tomorrow

Staff Reporter

16 lots have been formed this year

NEW DELHI: The first batch of pilgrims for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will leave on June 1. In all, 16 batches have been formed this year.

Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) Inspector-General (Headquarters) R.R. Bhatnagar announced on Tuesday that two of its disaster management teams trained in casualty detection have been posted at Gothi and Garbiyang, along the pilgrimage route to Kailash Mansarovar that is located at the height of 22,028 feet in Tibet. More such teams have been deployed at various other locations with rescue stores.

ITBP along with the Ministry of External Affairs has the overall responsibility for selection of pilgrims and liaison officer and successful conduct of the pilgrimage. The force conducts medical examination of the pilgrims at the Base Hospital in the Capital, after which a panel of ITBP doctors along with para-medical staff conduct their high-altitude medical examination at Gunji and the medical officer accompanies them from Gunji to Lipulekh Pass and on their way back to Gunji.

In case of casualty evacuation, ITBP acts as a nodal agency for coordination, communication and arrangement for evacuation by air with the help of the Air Force.

ITBP will establish a communication network between Gunji in India and Taklakot in China to monitor the "yatra".

Satellite telephones have been placed at two locations on the route for the pilgrims to communicate with their relatives.

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