Jammu, July 1
To cope with problem of scarcity of drinking water in Jammu and its outskirts, the state government has decided to install diesel generator (DG) sets at all important pumping stations of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department to ensure regular supply of water during power failure.

As the city and its adjoining localities have been confronting with the problem of water shortage these days, the PHE authorities have been making excuses that water supply was getting affected due to unscheduled power cuts and low voltage. They had expressed helplessness to ensure smooth supply of drinking water in the city and outskirts due to the prevailing power crisis.

Minister of State for Roads and Buildings Javed Ahmad Dar has directed the authorities to prepare detailed reports regarding the installation of DG sets at all important pumping stations. The minister expressed hope that with the installations of DG sets, the problem of drinking water would be solved to some extent because pumping stations would continue to function even at the time of power 
breakdown.

Sources in the PHE Department said in the first phase, DG sets would be installed at Sheetle Pumping Station and Company Bagh pumping Station which cater to most parts of the old city. The department has already initiated the work in this regard.

The minister also inspected the ongoing work on the fourth bridge of the Tawi and widening of the Gujjar Nagar road in Jammu. He was informed that the bridge was proposed to be connected with Warehouse, Satwari Vai Belli Charana with 3.25 km length.

Ahmad Dar said these projects would help ease traffic congestion in the city. Describing the quality of work as an important factor of the project, the minister asked the agencies executing the job that there would be no compromise in this regard. He impressed upon them to speed up the work and ensure that projects were completed within the stipulated time.

Dar instructed engineers to regularly monitor the schedule of the work to avert any delay. He asked the chief engineer to monitor all the projects personally and review the progress on a weekly basis.

The minister said the government had formulated a massive development plan for the beautification of the city and sought people’s cooperation in taking forward these projects.

While reviewing the functioning of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), the minister directed the commissioner to immediate start distillation work on main nullahs, especially near the Dogra Chowk, so as to avoid inundation of the Canal Road and the Jewel area. 

Hygam (Sopore), July 1
After facing huge losses for three consecutive years due to unrest in Kashmir, fruit growers in the Valley are elated over the expectations of a bumper crop this year.

The people associated with the horticulture sector say owing to the perfect weather conditions this year, they are expecting a good crop.

More than five lakh families are directly associated with the Rs 1,200-crore fruit growing trade which is still awaiting the status of an industry.

“This year, there was adequate snowfall and the temperatures too remained normal throughout the season. Now, there is adequate water supply due to the melting of snow. All these conditions are favourable for a bumper crop,” says Abdul Rashid, general secretary of the All J&K Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

The fruit growers are these days busy spraying pesticides and fungicides on the new crop so as to save them from diseases.

“The crop is good and we are not taking any chances and trying to avoid scab infection that hits the fruit every year,” says Mohammed Sultan, a fruit grower in apple-rich town of Sopore.

Besides apple, other fruit growers are also expecting a bumper crop of peach, pear and apricot.

However, the growers have expressed resentment over the failure of the government to give industry status to the fruit business in the state.

“We don’t get subsidy on the purchase of tree oil, pesticides and fungicides. We have requested the government to take necessary action to give industry status to the fruit business of Kashmir,” says Rashid.

The growers say due to unrest in the Valley for the past three years, they had to face various hardships as in 2008 during the Amarnath land row agitation when Jammu imposed an economic blockade on Kashmir, a large number of fruit laden trucks were destroyed.

“I suffered huge losses as my two Kolkatta-bound trucks were looted by hooligans when the consignment was on way to Jammu. Since then, I have been selling my fruit locally, but this year as the quality and the quantity of the crop is good, I pray for peace so that I can make up for the losses I have been incurring for the past three years,” says Bashir Ahmed Paul, a fruit grower in Pattan.

Srinagar, July 1
Minister of State for R&B Javed Ahmad Darhas took stock of the progress of the Mughal Road project during his recent visit to Pir Ki Gali, which separates the Kashmir division from Jammu.

He was informed that despite weather impediments and inhospitable terrain, efforts were on to meet the pre-fixed work schedule on Rs 639-crore 83-km historical Mughal Road project, while 2,100 personnel, including hundreds of engineers and technicians, besides 250 heavy and medium machineries, have been put into service at different locations.

The Minister was informed that four bridges had been completed out of 13, while work was apace on eight bridges expected to be completed by November this year.

He was informed that uncontrolled traffic and movement of livestock herds on the road had badly affected the progress of the project, besides shooting stones at several places, particularly at Mansar curve on Pir ki Gali-Bafliaz stretch of the road. Chief engineer Bimal Ticko pleaded for consultancy services for suggesting alternative remedial measures.

The Minister instructed the chief engineer and the authorities of the Hindustan Construction Corporation to increase men and machinery on the project so that weather conditions and limited working season did not affect the work. He asked them to carry out the work on those points where men and machinery could yield good results.

To ensure that the best engineering talent was engaged in the construction of the road, the Minister assured to provide 10 per cent incentives to the engineers working on the project.

An overhead footbridge was set up on the busy Moulana Azad Road in front of Women’s College a few years ago. The bridge was erected with the aim of easing traffic congestion amid heavy pedestrian traffic during the peak hours when at least 6,000 students enter the college in the morning and come out in the afternoon.

The students from other educational institutions in its vicinity, including SP College, SP Higher Secondary School, College of Education and Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibagh, add to the pedestrian traffic during the peak hours.

The location of the bridge also suited the rush of other commuters and shoppers in the adjacent Regal Chowk. But over the past two years, the bridge is losing its utility, thanks to the widening of the Moulana Azad Road from four-lane to six-lane road project from Batamaloo to Dalgate.

The bridge cries for help (see photo) as the base of the flight of steps is exposed for relaying of the extended portion of the road. Finally, the bridge would be an impediment on the six-lane road by hampering the proper movement of traffic. Constructed at a huge cost, it is losing its sheen within a short span of time.

Shopkeepers add to

traffic woes

While the city is already facing acute shortage of parking space and there is congestion on the roads, shopkeepers are adding to the chaos by displaying their commodities on the roads.

At the Jahangir Chowk near the flyover, which is one of the most congested places due to heavy traffic flow, shopkeepers are adding to the problems as they have occupied a major portion of the road.

Carpet and mat dealers in the area have occupied almost half of the road by placing their stock on the road which not only makes the movement of the traffic difficult, but also creates problem for pedestrians.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation seems to have turned a blind eye towards the problem being faced by the people. It has not taken even a single step to ask the shopkeepers to keep the commodities inside their shops.

If this place is freed of encroachments, then a majority of traffic burden would be eased and there would be plenty of space left for parking of vehicles.

(Contributed by Ehsan Fazili and Tejinder Singh Sodhi)

Srinagar, July 1
The Centre is considering funding the state for computerisation of the public distribution system (PDS) for IT-based distribution and management of foodgrains.This assurance has been given by BC Gupta, Union Secretary of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, to Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD), while reviewing the stock position of foodgrains in the state at a meeting here.

Akhoon, according to an official spokesman, urged the Centre to sanction additional foodgrain quota for the Kashmiri migrants, floating population of Gujjars and Bakerwals, and the APL population.

He said the state required allocation of additional monthly ration to the tune of 737 MT of rice, 254 MT of wheat and 68mts of sugar for the migrants at the APL rates, whereas six-monthly requirement of foodgrains for nomadic families is 3,564 MT. He said the state faced a shortfall of about 5,500 MT for the APL category to meet the requirement of registered population of 2001 census. He urged for releasing foodgrain quota on the basis of latest census 2010-11.

Akhoon also sought the assistance of the Centre for raising additional storage facilities at the block level and suggested transportation of ration from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) exclusively through railway rakes, which would, to a great extent, check pilferage of foodgrain during transaction.

He said the present food storage capacity available with the FCI in Jammu and Kashmir is 1.31 lakh MT, which is low to suffice the actual storage requirement. He asked for sanctioning financial support in favour of the state to construct storage at block level.

The minister also sought funds for construction of office buildings for two divisional consumer forums and eight districts forums in the state adding that the complex for State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has been completed and is ready for commissioning.

Akhoon demanded declaration of newly-created districts of Reasi, Ramban, Shopian and Kulgam as Principal District Centres (PDC) till storage facilities is made available. He also sought special additional foodgrains quota for festivals and free langars during the Amarnath yatra.
Union Secretary assured full cooperation from the Centre. He suggested for sale of pulses and edible oil through the PDS in the state. He also asked for involvement of gram panchayats and cooperative societies in distribution system. The state should initiate this on trial basis which can be later incorporated in the PDS on permanent basis.

Jammu, July 1
With the overwhelming response of visitors to the Manda Deer Park located on the outskirts of city, the Forest Department has now decided either to upgrade it or to find a new place to make a zoo in the city.

“The number of visitors has been increasing and the space available with us is proving less, so we have requested the higher-ups to either grant us permission to upgrade the existing Manda Deer Park or to allot any land in the city to make a zoo,” said Upinder Pachnanda, Chief Forest Conservator (Wildlife), Jammu.

He further said the efforts of their officials, in association with the Tourism Department, had brought good results.

Pachnanda added, “The proposal has been sent to the authorities concerned and we are waiting for its approval. If this project is sanctioned, the pilgrims and tourists coming here will get another beautiful tourist place.”

There are a number of species of deer, cheetal, sambar, leopard, duck, wildcat, beer, peacock and many other wild animals in this park at present.

On an average, 200-300 people daily visit this park. The number of visitors is expected to increase with the dip in temperature.

A senior official in the Tourism Department said if this project got formal nod from the higher-ups, the tourism would definitely get a boost.

“The promotion of such types of projects is very useful as it not only gives the tourists a place to enjoy, but it also gives employment to the people involved with the project,” the official said.