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Fresh snowfall in parts of Valley
After snow flurry, residents grapple with power crisis
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People express concern over shortage of essential supplies
NH opens, stranded vehicles move to Srinagar
Snowfall updates on Facebook, Twitter a hit among youngsters
Bureaucrat slaps teacher
Restore normalcy after snowfall: Mehbooba to govt
Cultural Academy ex-secy joins PDP
Mirwaiz pays tributes to Gaw Kadal victims
PDD employees urge govt to address issue of power theft
Moderate Hurriyat urges India, Pakistan to start meaningful dialogue
Sairaab wins weightlifting contest
Lone for preserving beauty of state
KCC beat SCC in T20 cricket tourney
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Fresh snowfall in parts of Valley
Srinagar, January 19 Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir recorded eight inches of snow overnight, an official of the state Disaster Management Cell said. Daksum and Verinag recorded up to seven inches of snow while Kapran and Psimer received one foot of fresh snow. An official of the state Meteorological Department said no snowfall was recorded anywhere in the region during the day. The official, however, said light snow and rainfall would occur at few places in Kashmir region and over the mountainous areas in the Jammu region in the next 24 hours. The Kashmir region received heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday which disrupted power supply, closed a vital road leading to the Valley, grounded air traffic and triggered high-danger avalanche warnings. The snowfall was the heaviest during the season so far. Nearly all major towns and villages across the region were covered in a white blanket. In Srinagar city, which recorded the coldest day of the season yesterday at 1.8 degree Celsius, the maximum temperature today was recorded at 4.5 degree Celsius. The overnight temperature in the city was recorded at a low of 0.2 degree Celsius. In Qazigund, the southern gateway town to the Valley, the minimum temperature was at a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius while in the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir the minimum temperature was recorded at 0.2 degree Celsius. The skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, which is enveloped in five-foot snow, recorded a low of minus 7.2 degree Celsius, the official said. At Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, the mercury overnight fell to minus 2.0 degree Celsius while the day temperature there was recorded at a maximum of 7.0 degree Celsius. In Leh town of remote and snowbound Ladakh region, the minimum temperature fell to minus 9.0 degree Celsius while the day temperature there rose to a maximum of minus 1.6 degree Celsius. The day temperature in Kargil district of Ladakh was recorded at the maximum of minus 3.0 degree Celsius while the night temperature there fell to minus 8.2 degree Celsius.
Region continues
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After snow flurry, residents grapple with power crisis
Srinagar, January 19 Kashmir received the heaviest snowfall of the season on Thursday, which threw life out of gear shutting down the vital Srinagar-Jammu highway and triggered high-danger avalanche warnings. Stating that “strenuous efforts” are being made for restoration of power supply, the Power Development Department authorities claimed that supply to most of the areas in Kashmir had been restored. They, however, added that it may take some time to restore power supply in remote and rural areas. “We are working to restore the power supply, though temporarily. By Saturday evening, we expect to restore electric supply to 80 to 90 per cent areas in Kashmir,” said Mohammad Muzaffar Mattu, Chief Engineer, Electrical Maintenance and Rural Electrification (EMRE) of PDD. Mattu, however, claimed that electricity supply in Srinagar city was restored to all areas by last evening. “It may take time to restore the supply in far flung and remote areas of Kashmir. Our men are in the field to assess the extent of the damage and fix it,” the Chief Engineer said. Reports from south Kashmir said most of the areas in the region were without electricity since the snowfall began on Thursday. Barring few localities in Anantnag town, the power supply to most of the areas was not restored by today afternoon. Likewise, reports from other south Kashmir towns such as Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Bijbehara said supply to these areas remained affected even today. “The main Shopian town has been grappling with darkness due to snapping of electrical supply for
five days. The power supply is yet to be restored in the town and other adjoining areas,” said Mohammad Suhail, a south Kashmir resident. In Pampore, people took to the streets on today and blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway protesting against disruption of power supply in the town. “The power supply in our area has been disrupted for a long time but the PDD authorities did not pay any heed to our woes,” said Mehraj, a resident of Fristabal locality of Pampore. In north Kashmir, many areas grappled with darkness due to disruption and non-supply of electricity. The electricity supply in civil lines areas of Baramulla were not restored till today afternoon.
“Even in areas where the supply was restored, electricity continued to play hide and seek,” said a resident from Baramulla town. Many residents from the Kupwara area said on telephone that electrical poles in many villages there got damaged due to heavy snowfall. Kupwara district in north Kashmir recorded between 12 to 14 inches of snow till Friday morning. Though power supply in main Kupwara and Handwara town in further north was restored by the PDD authorities by Friday evening, many far flung and remote village continued to remain without electricity even today. The areas where the electric supply remained disrupted are
Lolab, Dardpora, Diver, Chowkibal, Dolopora, Magam and villages in the Rajwar belt of
Handwara. “Our men are in the field to take stock of the damage and are trying to restore the snapped lines,” said Tajamul
Hussain, PDD Executive Engineer, Kupwara. |
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People express concern over shortage of essential supplies
Srinagar, January 19 Director, CAPD, Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir said 90 per cent essential food supplies had already been disbursed among people residing in snow-bound areas, including Naugam, Chowkibal, Machil, Tangdhar, Keran and Gurez, where accessibility is difficult. He said the foodgrain supplies had been sent to various CAPD depots in the surrounding areas of Srinagar for the month. “We have procured the allotted quantity of foodgrains for months of January and February from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). We are left with only 10 per cent of foodgrain stocks available with us for January right now. The rest has been disbursed,” Mir said. On instances of black-marketing, overcharging and fleecing of consumers during the harsh weather conditions, the CAPD director said various market checking drives would be intensified to bring the culprits to book. “We are aware that such malpractices take place during the winters in the market and people face inconvenience. We will direct our market-checking officers to be present at markets so that people are not fleeced by retail shopkeepers and other dealers,” Mir added. “It has happened in the past as well. Due to slippery roads, children, women and old people do not venture out. We buy enough supplies of medicines, food items and cooking gas and kerosene so as not to suffer when the road gets closed,” Tanveer Beigh, a government employee said.
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NH opens, stranded vehicles move to Srinagar
Srinagar, January 19 The critical highway was closed for all vehicular traffic on Thursday as heavy snowfall along parts of the 294-km road blocked the movement of vehicles. The road remained shut for the second consecutive day on Friday as well. The highway- which snakes along mountainous paths, crisscrosses through landslide and avalanche-prone areas- is the lifeline of Kashmir valley as all essential commodities are transported to the region from here. A Traffic Control Room official said now the snow had been cleared on the highway and it was opened for the vehicular traffic at around noon. He said all stranded vehicles, which remained parked near Ramban and Banihal on the other side of the Jawahar tunnel, have finally started moving to Srinagar. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Traffic, in a statement said all kinds of vehicles would be allowed to travel from Jammu to Kashmir in a regulated manner on Sunday if weather remained conducive. “All vehicles are required to cross TCP Nagrota by 9 am, Udhampur by 12 noon and TCP Banihal by 5 pm, and no vehicle shall be allowed to proceed towards Kashmir for onward journey beyond that. However, the cut-off timing can be reviewed if the weather and road condition improves,” the IGP said. On Monday, the IGP said, all vehicles would be allowed to travel from Kashmir towards Jammu in a regulated manner subject to “fair” weather conditions and good condition of road. Lifeline of Kashmir |
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Snowfall updates on Facebook, Twitter a hit among youngsters
Srinagar, January 19 With “Welcome Sheen (Snow)” updates flooding Facebook and Twitter, it was certainly the Kashmiris living outside the Valley who missed the heavy snowfall in the midst of Chillai Klan (the harshest 40-day cold period) in the Valley. A sarcastic cartoon which put the point as how social media is actually depriving people of socialising in real life went viral on Facebook which invited debate on various online forums. “We mostly make snowman in Kashmir. This time around, I am experimenting too. I am making a snowman who is all dolled up in my house lawn,” Srinagar-based writer Saadut Hussain said. “Please stop enticing us with these beautiful snow pictures of our hometown. We know we cannot be there,” commented Omair Wani, an engineering student from Srinagar who studies in Chennai. He added that it was usually fun-filled snow pictures which made them miss the Valley most. “I have been living in Saudi Arabia for five years now. And there are no traces of snow here. I wish I could fly back to the Valley to witness snow flakes falling in the backyard of my house. It is a great feeling to be there around this time,” Jameel Mushtaq, an electronics and communication engineer from Srinagar posted from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on his Facebook page. Senior citizens, however, were seen ranting about this social networking mania which, they say, takes over the real outdoor activity during snowfall in Kashmir. “I don’t understand the point behind typing long paragraphs on Facebook or Twitter of how you feel about the snow when you can a chance to step outside and have some fun with your friends. Only few years back when there was no intrusion of the internet, cell phones or social media in our lives, we actually used to live these kinds of experiences like heavy snowfall which happens only once a year,” Muzaffar Ahmad, a veteran police officer said. “If these guys are actually having fun in snow as they claim on their pages on Facebook or Twitter, then they will not be spending most of their time on these websites. They can actually go out and make snowman/woman or may enjoy long drives through Srinagar city like we used to,” Ghulam Muhammad Beigh, a retired professor, said.
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Bureaucrat slaps teacher
Srinagar, January 19 Sources said following a verbal duel between the official and the teacher, the former slapped the chemistry teacher. Private coaching centres in the area, taking a strong note of this, stopped taking tuitions from today and will go on a complete three-day strike.
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Restore normalcy after snowfall: Mehbooba to govt
Srinagar, January 19 “Though in some parts of Srinagar, the electricity was restored after a
24-hour blackout, a large part of the Valley is still without the power supply. The government has failed to improve upon the power situation in the past four years despite the fact that the state is generating and receiving more power than it used to earlier,” Mehbooba said in a statement. The PDP president said there were many areas where people complained of lack of action by the administration to restore damaged electric poles and transmission lines. She said the power infrastructure’s inability to withstand light rainfall also raised questions about its quality and about the development made by the government in past few decades. Mehbooba said it was the lack of accountability that had resulted in chaotic handling of even routine challenges. She said the government should start making proper use of control rooms, weather alerts and fleets of snow-cutters so that the roads are cleared. “The snowfall has caused medical emergencies, which are unattended
and many people are still not able to move from one place to another,” she said. Mehbooba said many areas, specially in
Srinagar city, were waterlogged and the government needed to respond to the calls for remedial measures. She said major towns such as Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, Sopore, Budgam, Bandipura, Ganderbal, and Kupwara were facing drainage problems. She said it looked like funds worth billions of rupees which were claimed to have been spent on urban development have only accentuated the problems of people as a result of dishonest and bad execution. |
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Cultural Academy ex-secy joins PDP
Srinagar, January 19 Welcoming Manhas into the party fold, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the fact that the party was attracting talent from all sections of society bodes well for the politics of the state. “People with concern for the state’s problems should come forward and join the party. In our party, they will find the right atmosphere and platform to contribute positively to the political discourse and development of the state,” Mehbooba said, adding that it was heartening that educated youth were joining the party in order to bring about a change in the present system. Manhas said he was impressed by the agenda of the party which aimed at connecting people of different regions and communities and taking the state to the next level of development. “I was really influenced by the leadership of the party which is working selflessly in order to bring about a change in the exploitative system that has adversely affected several generations,” he said.
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Mirwaiz pays tributes to Gaw Kadal victims
Srinagar, January 19 “In a meeting of party
delegates chaired by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today, rich tributes were paid to the victims of 1990 Gaw Kadal massacre,” a party spokesman said here in a statement. On January 21, 1990, civilians protesting against alleged molestation of a woman by security personnel were fired upon near the Gaw Kadal locality in Srinagar, allegedly by the security forces, resulting in the death of 50 persons and injuries to several others. The party spokesman said during the meeting, rich tributes were also paid to the last prophet of Islam, Muhammad. The hardline Hurriyat Conference led by
Geelani has already called for a shutdown on January 21 to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Gaw Kadal killings. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had on December 26, 2012, ordered a fresh inquiry into the 23-year-old incident. |
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PDD employees urge govt to address issue of power theft
Srinagar, January 19 In a statement by the J&K Central Non-Gazetted Electrical Employees Union, it has appealed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Power Minister to address the issue of power theft and misuse of electricity in the region. “The consequences of theft and misuse of power are faced by the non-gazetted staff of the PDD. So the government should call upon a meeting of all the unions to address the issue,” the statement from the union said. It also urged the minister concerned to fulfil the demands of the union, which have already been put before the government.
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Moderate Hurriyat urges India, Pakistan to start meaningful dialogue
Srinagar, January 19 The Hurriyat executive committee held a meeting in Srinagar here today to discuss the recent escalation of tension between the two countries along the Line of Control. The meeting was chaired by Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. “It was observed in the meeting that tense relations and an environment of hatred is beneficial to neither of the two neighbours and in such a situation, it is necessary to move forward and find solutions to problems by exhibiting political statesmanship and courage,” a Hurriyat spokesman said. “Terming the Kashmir dispute as the root cause of tension between India and Pakistan, it was observed that unless the Kashmir issue is not resolved, the political uncertainty and instability will continue in the region,” the spokesman said. The situation along the LoC has been tense since January 6. The spokesman said Hurriyat leaders had expressed concern over the “war-mongering” tendency of the media, particularly over the recent skirmishes between the two nations along the LoC. “The leaders felt that this war-mongering tendency of the media was neither beneficial to India nor Pakistan,” the spokesman said, adding that Hurriyat leaders were of the opinion that “in times like these media needs to show restraint”. Following the reported killing of a Pakistani army man on January 6 in the Uri sector, the Pakistan soldiers had killed two Indian soldiers in the Poonch sector. A total of five soldiers have been killed on both the sides since the skirmishes began. However, the situation has eased with military leaders on both sides stressing the need to respect the 2003 ceasefire pact.
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Sairaab wins weightlifting contest
Srinagar, January 19 Despite the inclement weather, over 20 body-builders took part in the competition. The championship was held at the Heavy Duty Health Club in Jawahar Nagar. The participants proved their mettle in bench press, squats, dead lifts, shoulder press, one arm dumbell press and barbell curls. The competition was sponsored by the Venky’s Food Supplements. Sairaab lifted 730 kg weights in total to win the championship. In the 60-70 kg category, the first, second and third positions were bagged by Zahoor Ahmad, Sahil Rizwan and Happy Singh, respectively. In 75-85 kg category, the first, second and third positions were held by Khalid Mehboob, Salmaan Bukhari and Omar Naqash, respectively. In the 85-90 kg category, the first and second positions were bagged by Sairaab Firdous and Mohammad Salim, respectively. Remote Sensing and Environment former director Mohammad Amin Kawoosa was the chief guest on the occasion. He distributed prizes among the best performers.
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Lone for preserving beauty of state
Jammu, January 19 The minister called upon experts, intellectuals and members of civil society to contribute in maintaining the quality of life for all people and preserving the beauty of the state. Lone urged them to prepare a project in this regard to be submitted to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for its implementation. Recalling his association with Kashmiri Pandits, Lone said the community had great teachers who were contributing significantly towards the education sector of the state. He urged them to forget agonies of past and show a proactive stance in reuniting people for further strengthening the secular ethos. Lone assured all possible help to the Hindu Education Society Kashmir (HESK). He released a book titled ‘Women Career Orientation’ by Dr Arti Durani and the college newsletter titled ‘Glimpses’. In his address, former Chief Secretary and Member of the Legislative Council Vijay Bakaya said the role of the HESK and the growth of Gandhi Memorial College at Jammu was an example of the resolve shown by the Kashmiri Pandit community to uphold its core value of propagating education. PHESK president Anil Dhar and Gandhi Memorial College of Education principal Prof GL Koul also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the Head of the Department of Earth Sciences of Kashmir University, Prof Shakil Romshoo, presented a power-point presentation on the topic. Various papers were presented and discussed by the participants during the seminar.
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KCC beat SCC in T20 cricket tourney
Jammu, January 19 Batting first after winning the toss, SCC garnered 176 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Chetan played a fiery knock of 72 runs off just 46 balls. His swashbuckling innings contained as many as nine delectable hits to the fence. Dharmesh (24), Tarun (20) and Sikander (18) were the other notable contributors. For KCC, Sohail was the pick of the bowlers with a haul of three wickets. Abhishek and Wasim shared a wicket apiece. Chasing 177 runs to win, KCC got off to a bad start, losing their openers cheaply inside five overs with the scoreboard reading 17. It was an impressive 98-run partnership for the third wicket between Raghu and Vikram that helped KCC to overhaul the target in 19.3 overs losing eight wickets in the process. Raghu remained unbeaten on 86 while Vikram chipped in with 36 runs. For SCC, Mohan, Vinod and Rakesh snared two wickets apiece.
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Srinagar, January 19
As the Valley woke up yesterday morning to find the region enveloped with a blanket of snow, people were more curious to post updates on snowfall, uploading pictures of snow on social networking websites such as
Facebook, Twitter rather than venturing out.
Srinagar, January 19
