Srinagar, November 16
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Vice-Chancellors of the Kashmir as well as Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST, Kashmir) to submit their suggestions based on research carried out on the damage done by toxic effluents discharged into the Dal Lake.

The suggestions are supposed to be reaching the High Court by or before next date of hearing fixed for November 28.

The court issued these directions following submissions by amicus curiae Zaffar A Shah that these universities may have done research work regarding the damage caused to the Dal Lake by discharge of effluents.

"Notice shall go to the Vice-Chancellors of both the universities, who shall advice the HoD (Head of Department) of the discipline concerned doing aforesaid research work, if any, to submit their suggestions based on research work so undertaken by or before next date of hearing," a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Muzaffar Hussain Attar said in its orders made available today.

These directions have been issued in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking preservation and conservation of the Dal Lake.

Shah, in his submissions, had also suggested exploring possibility of constituting a technical board or committee for "permanent and regular monitoring" of the functioning of the Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), which have already been set up to clean the Dal water of the toxic effluents discharged into it from different sources.

In this regard, the court directed the government to consider the "valuable" suggestion.

"The suggestion is valuable. In our opinion, it would be appropriate for the respondents (government) to consider the suggestion in its right perspective?. In this regard, enactment of the law and the rules may be a requirement; therefore, the respondents shall give a thought to it," the High Court observed in its orders while asking the government to file an affidavit in this regard by next week, which will indicate how it intends to consider the suggestion. 

Anantnag, November 16
The people in rural areas of Anantnag district, here in South Kashmir, rue the shortage of staff and health care facilities. According to reports there are no doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Allopathic dispensaries in many areas. Doctors hardly visit their work place. The people living in villages continue to remain dependent on the district and sub-district hospitals for the smallest of their health care needs, thus putting an extra pressure on the already overburdened referral hospitals.

Residents allege that doctors prefer to be posted in major towns and are often hesitant to work in rural areas. “If we look inside major hospitals of the district, there are many junior doctors working on voluntary basis. However, people even posted in rural areas seldom attend to their duties,” said Abdul Salam, a teacher from Khiram in Anantnag district.

Only a single doctor has been posted at the PHC in Khiram area. Locals agree that a doctor cannot stay at the PHC for 24-hours.

“We are forced to carry our sick to the Sub-District Hospital in Bijbehara or the District Hospital in Anantnag,” said Salam. The PHC caters to a population of more than 20,000. Moreover, the PHC’s and dispensaries are not well equipped to handle even the simplest of the medical procedures like a delivery. Most of these health care facilities remain devoid of the basic equipment. Some of them do not have the space to accommodate the machinery.

“Our local dispensary has got some equipment if not all. However, the problem is no space where the equipment could be utilised,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, an engineer from Dialgam in Anantnag.

Dialgam residents say even if the dispensary is not upgraded to a Primary Health Centre, at least there should be enough space to keep and use the rotting equipment.

The Health Department officials blame the government for its callous attitude towards healthcare.

“We do not have enough doctors to keep these smaller healthcare units up and running,” said a senior official of the Health Department on a condition of anonymity.

He said they had been requesting the authorities to take concrete steps, but to no avail.

Srinagar, November 16
Kashmir continues to remain in the grasp of shivering cold as mercury fell below the freezing point across the region. In Srinagar, the maximum temperature had remained steady at 16°C for last several days. The night temperature fell by two degrees below the freezing point, an official of the state Meteorological Department said.

The Weather Department’s forecast bulletin said the minimum temperature in the city would likely continue to drop to -3°C during the Saturday-Sunday intervening night.

Kashmir, the state’s summer capital, had recorded the coldest night of the season on Thursday when mercury fell to -2.6°C. Leh town in remote Ladakh region continues to remain the coldest place in Kashmir division as mercury fell to -12°C, said the official.

In Kargil, the second major populated centre in Ladakh region, minimum temperature was recorded at -7°C. The region remains cut-off from rest of the state for most of the winter as a wall of snow at the Zojilla Pass blocks its road connectivity with the Kashmir valley.

Pahalgam resort of the south Kashmir was the coldest place in Kashmir Valley with mercury falling to -4°C, the official said. In north Kashmir’s Gulmarg resort, a famous skiing destination during winters, mercury fell to -1.8°C. In Qazigund, located in south Kashmir and in Kupwara, a frontier town in north Kashmir, the mercury overnight fell to -2.8°C, the official said.

Kupwara, November 16
Dip in temperature has raised the demand for firepots, called kangris in local parlance in north Kashmir. Erratic power supply has rendered heating devices like heaters and blowers almost useless and people have been choosing kangris for warmth, especially during morning and evening hours.

Kangri sellers have been doing brisk business as people are thronging markets to buy the heating device.“Early chill this year has raised the demand for kangris. I have sold about 300 kangris during the past one week. The cost of kangri varies from Rs 80 to Rs 250, depending on the wicker used in the preparation and its size,” said Shabir Ahmad Ganie, who has been selling kangris at a makeshift shop in Kupwara town.

For a large number of people involved in making and sourcing the material for the kangri, it is a round-the-year job, but for sellers, it is largely four months of the winter season when they do most of the business.

He said he had engaged about a dozen youth to make kangris of different shapes and sizes at his home in Darpora Lolab. “For the past many years, I am in the business of making and selling kangris. The kangri is by and large affordable to even the poorest and unlike electrical heating devices, it can be taken along when one goes on a stroll,” he added.

Reports said the kangri has been selling like hot cakes in other major towns of north Kashmir. Most people in villages use hearth for cooking and making charcoal for kangris.

“Use of hearth for cooking also generates enough coal for kangris. Power is playing hide-and-seek in villages these days and the power scenario may worsen in the coming weeks. Therefore, most people in villages use hearth for cooking and kangris for warmth in the harsh winter season,” said Bhakti begum, a housewife from Tikker.

Fire incidents due to a kangri falling in the bed is a regular feature in winters and the broad base of kangri normally minimises such incidents.

The kangri sellers also visit villages to sell the kangris at people's doorsteps. Many people cut and stock old trees like poplar and walnut for firewood in winters. Others use bukharis run on firewood to fight the chill.

Anantnag, November 16
More than four months have elapsed after the inauguration of the Banihal-Qazigund Rail link, but trains continue to remain overcrowded. The authorities concerned have taken no steps whatsoever to increase the seating capacity of the existing trains.

Daily commuters rue that after the inauguration of the second phase, the number of commuters had swelled a multiple times. However, the seating capacity remained the same. Many commuters have again switched over to travel by road even though it costs them extra time as well as money.

According to reports, trains have a capacity to carry 700 to 800 passengers. According to sources, anything beyond this limit will tend to over-loading. However, the irony is that at any given time there are more than 4,000 to 5,000 passengers.

Commuters said over-crowding caused inconvenience to the daily passengers travelling from Anantnag to Srinagar and beyond. “Earlier trains remained overcrowded. However, it was manageable to some extent. After the inauguration of the Banihal-Qazigund link

in June this year, Srinagar bound trains are almost impossible to board,” said Burhan Ahmad, a student from Anantnag. He said the train got overloaded by the time it reached Qazigund and commuters boarding after that were put to great inconvenience.

Commuters demanded increase in the frequency of trains if the capacity was not to be increased.

Meanwhile, Railway officials maintained that increasing the capacity or frequency of trains, was a decision to be taken by the state government. “We cannot decide regarding these issues on our own,” said a senior Railway official on a condition of anonymity.

Srinagar, November 16
In an initiative to modernise religious education in Kashmir, Islamic preparatory schools have come up to teach religious values and manners among toddlers. The effort marks modernised revival of traditional Darsgah culture in the Valley.

Tanveer Ahmed is the first person in the Valley to start an institute with the name “Islamic Preparatory School”. He has been running a religious institute, School of Quran and Theology Education, for the past 15 years.

In the wake of people's response, he came up with the idea of Islamic preparatory school.

“I started it a month ago and the response I got from the people is good. I think it will work well and people are also interested in religious education being imparted to their kids,” said Tanveer.

Tanveer is using technology to modernise the preaching. He has been teaching toddlers on LCDs, projectors, laptops and other modern gadgetry to make education interesting and interactive. “We want to digitise everything and we are already doing that. We don’t use white boards or markers. We use only projectors and laptops to teach the kids,” he said.

“We are not able to get full technical support, and we will have to get things done from outside. We want to fully modernise the institute using technology,” he said.

The institute has already digitised its operations and working.

“Our main aim is to impart religious manners among kids using latest electronic means and other gadgets. We have already digitised the syllabus and curriculum,” he said.

The past few years have seen mushrooming of preparatory schools or crèches across Kashmir with focus on pre-school development of children and preparing them for competitive exams for admissions in schools. Many parents have been demanding combination of religious and moral education coupled with overall development of a child’s personality.

“It’s good to have Islamic preparatory schools in Kashmir because it’s important to sow the seeds of religious morals in the minds of children when they are growing. We should focus on religious education like we are focusing on modern education. I think our demand has been met by such a preparatory school,” said Javeed Ahmad, a parent.

Srinagar, November 16
Kashmir valley’s taekwondo champion Kariha Javaid, who has participated in various national and international taekwondo championships has been selected by the Government of India, Ministry of Women & Child Development, for national award for exceptional achievements.

She won a gold medal at the world championship held at Malaysia and won a silver medal too. The taekwondo association of J&K, in its meeting convened here, appreciated the talent and the laurels brought by Kariha Javaid to Jammu and Kashmir. The Taekwondo Association of J&K president RGN Wani said there is no dearth of sports talent in the state.

He said the association would continue to provide necessary facilities to the players of the state for showcasing their talent both at national and international events. The J&K team, while participating in the national taekwondo championships held at Mumbai recently, broke national records and achieved the top-most position in the championship by securing more than seventeen gold medals. — TNS