Overview
- Anantnag Police publicly activated Project Hawk Eye on Thursday, deploying five drone detachments, 416 high‑resolution CCTV cameras with Facial Recognition System infrastructure, 22 specially trained sniper teams and 28 elevated Machan Morchas along the Amarnath Yatra route.
- Authorities describe the program as an integrated ‘eyes in the sky and on the ground’ network that combines aerial surveillance, real‑time video monitoring and ground observation posts to speed incident assessment and response.
- The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY‑2026) is due to begin on July 3 and officials say more than 350,000 pilgrims have registered, prompting the expanded security posture and a call for public cooperation.
- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led a review of yatra preparations as police and civil authorities finalised logistics, emergency planning and crowd management measures tied to the new surveillance grid.
- Police say the measures aim to deter attacks, accelerate identification of suspicious activity through facial recognition and reduce response times for on‑ground units, which could change how large pilgrim movements are policed and monitored in the region.