Parl Panel recommends integrated security, surveillance framework for J&K tourist spots

NEW DELHI, Aug 10: A Parliamentary panel has recommended an “integrated security and surveillance framework” for all major tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir, including comprehensive CCTV coverage, centralised monitoring facilities and regular security audits.

In its report on Administrative Governance, Socio-Economic Development and Border Security and Internal Security of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Border Security Management and Preparedness in the UT of Ladakh, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs called for clear inter-agency standard operating procedures to be prescribed and reviewed ahead of every peak tourist season.

The recommendations assume significance in the backdrop of the April 22 last year terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorists who had taken shelter in higher locations.

The committee recommended periodic joint security audits and vulnerability assessments, particularly before the tourist season and the Amarnath Yatra, to identify and address emerging security concerns.

The panel visited Jammu, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Kargil from May 11 to 15, 2026, and undertook an on-the-spot assessment of security arrangements in Gulmarg. It also interacted with Jammu and Kashmir Police representatives in Sonmarg and reviewed border security establishments and operational preparedness in Kargil through interactions with Army personnel.

Noting the steady rise in tourist arrivals, the committee said security management at tourist destinations had assumed special importance as it directly influenced the perception of safety, visitor experience and sustained tourism growth.

It recommended dedicated emergency response units, adequately equipped ambulances, trauma-care facilities and clearly identified evacuation routes at all high-footfall destinations. It also called for emergency contact numbers and safety instructions to be prominently displayed in multiple languages at hotels, transport points and tourist facilities.

In Ladakh, the panel expressed satisfaction over the induction of advanced weapon systems, unmanned aerial systems, counter-UAS technologies, modern surveillance equipment, specialist mobility platforms and all-terrain vehicles.

It recommended sustained investment in integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, counter-drone systems, secure communication networks and indigenous high-altitude technologies, besides timely procurement, deployment and periodic technological upgradation of these capabilities in strategically important sectors. (Agencies)