Jammu,  2 July

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) has set up a permanent disaster management complex at Baltal, Ganderbal district, for pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra, a company official said.

This Disaster Management and Yatri Niwas Complex will become operational on Friday, he added.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, ONGC is developing these complexes at four key locations – Baltal, Nunwan, Bijbehara, and Sidhra – in Jammu and Kashmir.

"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," an ONGC spokesperson said.

He added that the Baltal facility will be formally inaugurated on July 4 by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in the presence of ONGC Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh.

Currently, the facilities are being set up at Nunwan in Anantnag district, measuring 8,500 square metres, and at Bijbehara in Anantnag (7,640 sq m). Both sites are expected to be completed by September 2025, he 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.

These facilities will be operated by the Amarnath Shrine Board under the Jammu and Kashmir government, he said.

It will provide safe lodging, sanitation, and emergency support to people undertaking the Amarnath Yatra, he said, adding that over five lakh people undertake this yatra every year.

This permanent infrastructure will also benefit the local population throughout the year, the spokesperson added.