Srinagar, July 16
The ongoing turmoil in the Kashmir valley has cast a shadow on the health services. The number of patients visiting hospitals has declined as people are unable to move out of their homes for the fear that their vehicles might be attacked by stone-pelters.

“Patients are unable to reach hospitals due to the ongoing protests. Those who manage to arrive here have to face lot of hardships on the way,” said a doctor of a government hospital.

He said there were instances when stone-pelters attacked ambulances. Even paramilitary CRPF personnel have been stopping ambulances and other vehicles carrying patients to the hospitals.

“I had to write in bold letters on my vehicle that it was carrying a serious patient, but still we were stopped at various places. At some places, there were protesters while at other, the CRPF and the police,” said Ishfaq Ahmed, a driver.

On July 7, an ailing woman from Kupwara died on way to Srinagar when the vehicle in which she was being taken to the hospital was allegedly stopped by CRPF personnel near model town Sopore. The incidents had led to hue and cry in the area.

The doctors say that due to the present situation they too find it difficult to reach the hospital to perform their duties.

“As doctors are not able to reach the hospital, there is overload on the few who manage to join their duties,” said a doctor in a government hospital in Badgam district.

Meanwhile, owners of chemist shops here also say that due to the prolonged strike they are running out of stock and until fresh supply does not arrive many life saving drugs are in scarcity.

“Some drugs are totally out of stock. Patients are suffering the most as they are unable to get some of the essential medicines they need to take. Since there is no fresh supply coming, we are unable to help them,” said Tariq Ahmed, a chemist shop owner in Srinagar.

Even though the government claims that the situation is not as grim, people here say they have been facing various health related problems as they are unable to get proper medical facilities due to the ongoing turmoil.

“I am a patient of hypertension and for the past few days I haven’t been able to see my doctor. Even medicines prescribed to me have been exhausted and now I am compelled to take a substitute for that. I hope the stalemate ends soon and people resume their normal life,” said Abdul Qadir, a local resident.

Batote, July 16
With the annual Amarnath Yatra in full swing and tourist season at its peak in the Himalayan state, pilgrims and tourists are paying heavily for staying in hotels and lodges in Patnitop and Batote area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

“We are a group of 12 people returning from the yatra. We wanted to stay in a hotel, but it seems they have doubled the tariff. They are demanding Rs 4,500 for a suite of three rooms with attached bathroom and additional Rs 100 for bedding per room to adjust extra people,” rued Maheshwar Rao Kamble from Pune.

“At 11 in the night with children and women, we are bargaining hard to find a suitable place,” Kamble added.

There should be some control on such hotels and lodges on the highway, he said, adding that, “It seems they want to earn as much as they can in one go, least bothering about hardships to pilgrims and tourists like us who go out on pilgrimages once or twice a year and that too with limited money,” he added.

Another hotel in Batote presented a grim picture, where bargaining ruled the roost. After seven to eight commercial vehicles carrying tourists and pilgrims arrived, their tariff doubled suddenly.

“They don’t have a regular tariff card and during tourist season they charge at their will from tourists,” said Mushtaq, one of the cab drivers, who brought seven passengers from Srinagar.

“They charged Rs 1,000 for a single shabby room with a stinking bathroom and late at night we had no other option, but to stay there,” said Meenakshi, a tourist from New Delhi.

“They also charged Rs 40 for a 200 ml toned milk, further diluted with water, for my two-month-old baby, while the tetra pack of one litre of verka brand costs Rs 37 in the open market,” she added.

However, the situation was no different in Patnitop, where anything between Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 was being charged for congested and dingy rooms. Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has constituted a team to look into the cases of fleecing by hoteliers.

President of All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association Inderjeet Khajuria stated that the the association leaved no stone unturned to ensure that no such incident happened with the tourists in future. Not even a single such instance had come into the notice of the Tourism Department or the association in the Jammu city, he claimed, adding that Jammu hotels had recorded 70 per cent of bed occupancy so far.

However, he admitted that a few hotels in Patnitop and Batote do tarnish the image of the state with their “greedy” acts. “At the same time one cannot deny the fact that they are seasonal hotels on the highway, where they get the business for two to four months every year and hence their tariffs are higher compared to ours in Jammu and Katra,” he added.

Vijaypur, July 16
There are many similarities between protagonist of Black movie Michelle McNally and a shopkeeper in Vijaypur as both are visually impaired, but never allowed their handicap bog down their life.

Just like Michelle, who developed acumen to sense as subtle a phenomenon as snowfall before she would actually feel the touch of the falling snowflakes, Karam Chand (45), who runs a teal stall at Kaintpur in Vijaypur tehsil on the national highway, is a man who looks beyond his visual disability.

For many years, he has been running a small business from a tent. With exceptional skills, his fingers can effortlessly judge the value of any of the currency notes amidst crowd of customers that keep his tea-stall mobbed.

He is never misled by his disability from correctly weighing eatables, like pakoras and burfi. Most of the busses plying on the national highway make it a point to stop by his shop so that the passengers could savour delicacies with steaming tea at this stopover, popularly called Thandi-Khui.

Though he has employed at least five boys for serving tea and eatables, he handles every thing efficiently, right from keeping account of sales, preparing tea and handing out delicacies.

Sadly, unlike Michelle, he had never been fortunate enough to have a teacher, like Devraj Sahai in his childhood, who would make him understand more nuance of the world around him and get him educated like any other normal child.

He inherited the tea stall business from his father to making a living for his family. “Me and my elder sister were born with the disability. Earlier, I would assist my father at the shop and in the meanwhile, learnt to do everything myself,” he said.

Though his brothers and a son run a shop nearby his stall, Karam Chand says that his business and most particularly, the place has become an inseparable part of his life.

“As long as I am able to work, I will work at this place only,” he said in determined manner as he holds a currency note from one of the several hands lunging for making payments.

Srinagar, July 16
With normal life paralysed in the valley over past few weeks, more so after curfew was clamped and the Army was called in to assist the civil administration in maintaining law and order after violence escalated, youths mostly in uptown and rural areas engaged themselves in various pastimes that are otherwise less noticed during contemporary times.

A group of youths was found fishing in a nullah (rivulet) flowing along the fringes of Nowgam-Padshahi Bagh. “We don’t otherwise get time for fishing as we are busy in our routine work. We take such times as an opportunity”, said the group.

The nullah water is polluted with garbage on both sides of its banks and latrine points constructed at various places along the riverbank.

“Fishing is my hobby, but I left it years back. This time around I found some time to come here for fishing”, said Suhail Ahmad, a youth. He had come all the way from his place, a few kilometers from the spot, to try his hands on fishing. “I hope to get few fish by the evening “.

A couple of kilometers away, a group of youths could be seen playing cricket. “There are no playgrounds available to us now. As traffic is off the roads these days, we can play here at ease”, they said.

Miles away, a group of young boys could be seen busy enjoying their time while swimming in contaminated water collected at a point amidst the river that has almost dried up. The river passes through various villages along Mattipora in Baramulla district.

“We love swimming. Our schools are closed these days. Taking a break from work in the fields we are enjoying our time here”, said Aadil, Arif and Imtiyaz, the boys bathing in the contaminated water.

Uri, July 16
Residents in some parts of the border area where gypsum mining takes place are a worried lot.

"We live in the lap of mountains where gypsum mining is being carried out. The same can lead to mountain sliding that can turn disastrous for our village," says Syed Rafiq Hussain, village head in Noorkhah-Uri, a bowl shaped mountainous region about 100 km north of the city.

Hussain's views were echoed by a group of youth in a nearby village, Bijhama. They argue, "Contractors acquire mountains on lease for a couple of years. They are usually influential people and make good money out of it. But we suffer as it leads to environmental pollution and has health hazards".

"Medical experts say mining has serious impact on the health of people. It may lead to damage to their lungs," says Mubashir Ahmad, coordinator, Centre for Environment and Education (CEE), Himalaya and Welthungerhilfe (WHH, formerly German Agro Action).

Health experts say people associated with mining or living nearby suffer from chest-related disorders due to dust while gypsum is extracted. "Normally, people living in areas where gypsum is extracted suffer from cough, cold and sneezing," views Dr Malik Abdul Rashid, former deputy director, Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir.

Gurcharan Singh, an environmentalist, says, "Gypsum mining can destabilise slopes that can lead to soil erosion. Water table too gets affected."

Gypsum mining is mostly done in north Kashmirs' Uri and Kokernag-Verinag belt in south Kashmir. He says these areas present degraded look as neither any specific measure nor proper mining or reclamation of these sites has taken place.

He shares that the Geology and Mining Department offers licence for mining in revenue lands while most of the mining done in the forest areas is illegal. "A lot of mining is done in the Asar-Bagar area on way to Doda in Jammu division. The sinking of road from Batote to Doda is an eye-opener. Gypsum mining and formation of big reservoir at Baglihar (in the vicinity) has led to the sinking of road".

According to CEE, due to deforestation and gypsum mining, suspended particulate matter (SPM) has increased manifold, causing health hazards. "Tuberculosis is rampant in these areas. Physical fitness and health of people is also getting affected."

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) has suggested the government to take effective steps to ensure that these mines are not stopped for the extraction of gypsum. "We fear all plaster of Paris (PoP) manufacturing units will get problems and the cement industry, the largest industrial sector in Kashmir, will become sick and redundant," says Dr Mubeen Shah, former president, KCC&I.

He adds that the Geology and Mining Department has leased out 12 mines that are all operational. "There are still huge deposits of gypsum that can be leased out".

Amarnath Cave, July 16
To earn a two square meal is a tough task for Iqbal, a 15-year-old youth from Rajouri. Born in a penury-ridden family, he ferries pilgrims on his pony from Baltal to Amarnath cave shrine to earn his livelihood.

The 12-km long track is full of challenges, as somewhere its width is even less than one metre. Still Iqbal, with confidence and courage does his duty.

Though the Baltal route is considered more difficult than the traditional Pahalgam route, Iqbal never changed his mind to opt for any other route.

“The yatra opens for less than two months and we earn our livelihood for the entire year from this annual pilgrimage. I am the elder one in my family as my father died three years ago in militancy. So this way am earning money for my mother and little brother,” said Iqbal. He added that his mother works as a sweeper at a government hospital in Rajouri.

“In normal days, when weather is clear, I make two rounds from Baltal to the cave and vice versa,” he said, adding that he came here for the first time with his relative.

However, not only Iqbal, a number of other little ponywallas are also doing a brisk business here to earn their livelihood for the rest of the year.

Even pilgrims also prefer these little ponywallas to reach the shrine. “I have to go to the shrine for darshans of the Lingam and the pony-charges are same as fixed by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. Therefore, I decided to take a ride on the pony of this little ponywalla, so that he could earn some money,” said Rajinder Sharma, a pilgrim.

Kathua, July 16
The Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Park in the heart of the town is in a shambles, bringing disrespect to the martyr.

Situated on the bank of Ravi irrigation canal, adjacent to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the park has presently become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and all kinds of insects. However, lack of sanitation is visible from the fact that some of the dhabas and hotel owners dump leftovers in the vicinity of the park, thus polluting the entire area. To add to this, is the callous attitude of the authorities, who seem to be unconcerned about the park’s maintenance.

Moreover, the employee unions, associations and political parties, over the years have turned this park into a gossip spot, where they arrange meetings, serve lunches and refreshments.

“Holding of political conventions and rallies in this park has become an order of the day. Many a times in the past, some unruly participants, while resorting to hooliganism had even damaged the statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh installed in this park,’’ said Sandeep Sharma, a local newscaster.

Sharma said damaging a martyr’s statue amounted to a sacrilegious act and the people of the district had also registered a protest few years ago. Though the statue had to be repaired, such political and union meetings continue to be organised here without any permission from the authorities concerned, he added. Even some high-tension wires pass through this park and pose a serious threat to the lives of those, who venture to stroll under the shads of eucalyptus trees that touch these wires.

“The openings on all sides of the park has allowed residents of nearby areas to use it as a thoroughfare. Also, some rehriwallas have encroached its front portion by serving fast food to college goers,” said Kuldeep Kumar, a resident.

Harbans Singh, executive officer, Kathua Municipality, admitted that the lack of sanitation prevailed in the area and assured to look into the matter.

He added that the maintenance of the park was vested with the Department Of Floriculture And Gardens. “We are responsible for the sanitation and not for maintaining this park,” he added.

Srinagar, July 16
Most of the residents living in downtown localities of Srinagar have been under strict restrictions for over three weeks now, which has led to severe shortage of essential commodities.

To overcome this problem, residents in the localities have started pooling food items for those in dire need. “There can be less cases of the lack of rice (main food) in the households,” commented a resident, adding that vegetables are locally available within the localities. This, he explains, is because rice is stocked in bulk to last for months as per common practice in view of the long winter months. But the lack of other essential commodities has led to problems in the households. Many people in the downtown and elsewhere in the valley have been sharing food stocks and other essential items over the past days of continued trouble.

On its part, the government has also shown concern for uninterrupted supply of essential commodities. Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Qamar Ali Akhoon reviewed the stock and supply position of essentials in the state at a meeting of officers here recently.

The minister stressed upon the officers to discharge their duties with added responsibility so that people do not suffer for the want of essential commodities. He asked officials concerned to distribute ration in every locality and ensure opening of ration ghats as per the convenience of consumers. He said there should be no compromise in the quality of food grains. He instructed them to ensure the availability of essential commodities at Amarnath yatra routes.

The meeting was informed that during the first 15 days of this month, 2.76 lakh quintals of rice, 26,500 quintals wheat and 11,000 quintals of sugar have been dispatched to various destinations for onward supply to consumers.

For bringing transparency in the public distribution system (PDS), Akhoon asked directors of both divisions, Kashmir and Jammu, to define the areas for introducing e-PDS on trial basis. For the convenience of the consumers, he said open market sale scheme was also being introduced in the state shortly.

The meeting was informed that sufficient stock of 1.83 lakh LPG cylinders was available at HP plant at Pampore and 1.50 lakh cylinders were distributed to the consumers during the current month.

It was informed that buffer stock of food grains was available in FCI godowns, including 38,340 quintals of wheat, 2,77,240 quintals of rice and 34,740 quintals of sugar while in the godowns of CA&PD, 78,543 quintals of rice, 12,000 quintals sugar and 12000 quintals wheat is available to fulfill the requirement of people of the valley.

Besides, 36,000 quintals of rice, 33,000 quintals wheat flour, 7,000 quintals sugar and 36,000 litres kerosene oil have been dispatched to the border area for dumping the stock for winter months.

While reviewing the supply position in Jammu division, it was given out that during the current month, 84,107 quintals of wheat, 38,899 quintals rice and 10,016 quintals sugar was dispatched to various districts of Jammu.