Interestingly, the langar organisations are also in favour of only a month-long Yatra, as the majority of the yatris visit during the initial 2-3 weeks. As per the contract with the Shri Amanarthji Shrine Board (SASB), langar organisations cannot wind up until the last day of the Yatra. This is a huge economic drain, since they have to maintain the necessary infrastructure, though there is hardly anyone to feed. They also allege that during the lean time, the armed forces camped in the region often descend upon the langars and demand that they be fed free food (thus saving their ration allowances).

A review of newspapers in the months prior to the Yatra and of websites of organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), makes it evident that the duration of the Yatra is politically determined.Leaders of the Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir demand that the Yatra be conducted over one month while the socio-religious organisations of India try to constantly negotiate for as long a Yatra as possible. For the Hurriyat Conference and people of Kashmir, environmental concerns and the cultural onslaught are the roots for this demand, while for the socio-religious organisations, claiming Kashmir to be a part of Hindu India is at the heart of their involvement and interventions.

A large quantity of non-biodegradable waste is generated by the langars, and it seems that no real effort has been made to regulate and minimise that.

Interestingly, the decision making powers – both in terms of administration of the Yatra and security –have been retained by arms of the central government, through the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and armed forces.

A tunnel is also set to come up between Baltal and Drass since the Zojila pass is closed through the winter months, cutting off the route from Kashmir to Ladakh. According to Mr. Gupta the tunnel at Panchtarni would connect with the tunnel from Baltal to Drass as well. This way armed forces and others can travel from Jammu to Ladakh without going into the heart of Kashmir, Srinagar. He also suggested that the idea of the tunnels came up in the context of the Yatra, which would make it accessible to more people, thereby increasing its popularity. These plans are to be implemented in eco-fragile areas, and there has been a relaxation of rules regarding the need for an EC for defence linked projects. Mr. Gupta shared that since it would be a challenge to get an environment clearance for the same, the government has strategically decided to treat it as a defence project, rather than as connectivity for the Amarnath Yatra.