J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Shift ammo depots from civilian areas: PDP chief
Srinagar, August 12
Several leaders of mainstream political parties, including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and CPM state secretary M.Y.Tarigami, visited the affected villages today.

Landslides disrupt Amarnath yatra
Udhampur, August 12
Pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrines was disrupted today due to landslides. The district administration suspended vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway this afternoon after reports of landslides at many places between Nandani and Jajjar Kotli.

Cultural bonanza for children of new districts
Udhampur, August 12
Preparations are in full swing for the first Independence Day celebrations in the three newly created districts of Reasi, Ramban and Kishtwar which were earlier parts of Udhampur and Doda. District-level Independence Day celebrations were earlier held at Udhampur and Doda and officers from these areas had to go there for participation.

Top Harkat militant killed
Srinagar, August 12
Two persons, including a district commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, have been killed in the state since yesterday,while a major tragedy was averted after a 10-kg IED was detected on time in Pulwama district today.

Kashmiri women pray at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on Sunday as ‘Shab-e-Mehraj’ was observed in the Kashmir valley with religious fervor and gaiety. — Tribune photo by Mohammad Amin War

Saints take Chhari-Mubarak (holy mace of Lord Shiva) to the Shankaracharya temple in Srinagar.— A Tribune photograph

Decks cleared for trial run of train in valley
Jammu, August 12
With eight coaches and two diesel multiple units (DMUs) having reached Budgam by road, decks have been cleared for the trial run of the first-ever train in the Kashmir valley.

Shift ammo depots from civilian areas: PDP chief
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 12
Several leaders of mainstream political parties, including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and CPM state secretary M.Y.Tarigami, visited the affected villages today.

The PDP president has said the presence of huge ammunition depots amidst civilian areas is a looming risk for the people living there and yesterday's incident at Khundroo has only reiterated such dangers.

Immediately on her arrival from New Delhi today morning, Mehbooba rushed to the affected villages in and around Khundroo to take stock of the situation. During her extended visit to the area, she visited around 12 worst-affected villages where the people had to flee after yesterday's massive fire at the Army’s ammunition depot. 
She said this was for the second time after 1965 that a massive fire broke out at Khundroo ammunition depot putting the lives and the property of the people in the surrounding areas at risk and causing immense panic.

“The dangerous situation that the people of the nearby villages are living in could be gauged from the fact that scores of unexploded shells are still lying in the civilian areas posing a threat to the lives”, she said adding that instead of taking short-term fire-fighting measures, the defence ministry must take steps to relocate the ammunition depots of such a massive scale away from the civilian areas.

The PDP president said she would raise the issue in the ongoing session of the Parliament to impress upon the defence ministry the urgency of shifting the ammunition depots from the populated areas. "I am sure the Government of India will seriously consider shifting of such ammunition depots from the civilian areas to ensure the safety of the people," she added.

Asking the state government to ensure the safety of property and goods left behind by the fleeing people, she said during her visit to the area a few families complained that their household goods were stolen in their absence. "The police must ensure the safety of the property and other household items of the villagers", she said. The PDP president added that the district administration should ensure that the villages in and around the camp are cleared of all unexploded shells before allowing the people in. She also visited the family of a firefighter at Telwani who died of serious injuries while performing his duties yesterday.

She visited Achabal, Telwani, Hardtoora, Renipora, Khul, Chattergul, Cherpora, Shangus and Nowgam. 
CPM state secretary Tarigami has expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements made for camping and rehabilitation of dislocated population by divisional and district administration.

Landslides disrupt Amarnath yatra
Tribune News Service

Udhampur, August 12
Pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrines was disrupted today due to landslides. The district administration suspended vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway this afternoon after reports of landslides at many places between Nandani and Jajjar Kotli.

“We have stopped the movement of traffic on highway and no vehicle is being allowed to 
proceed towards Katra and Srinagar from Jammu'', Shafaqat Wattali, SSP (Traffic), said. He said heavy rain had triggered landslides at as many as six places. One tube of the Nandani turnel near Jajjar Kotli was also closed due shooting stones.

Although officials of Beacon and other organisations have been working since morning to restore the traffic, they are finding it difficult to continue their work due to the nonavailability of adequate equipment.

It is for the first time that landslides have been reported on this stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Meanwhile, due to the closure of the road a number of pilgrims to Vaishno Devi were stranded at the bus stand and the railway station. The fresh batch of Amarnath pilgrims was also stopped at Jajjar Kotli in the morning. The cavalcade of pilgrims was allowed to move further only after 4 pm.

I-Day Celebrations
Cultural bonanza for children of new districts
Tribune News Service

Udhampur, August 12
Preparations are in full swing for the first Independence Day celebrations in the three newly created districts of Reasi, Ramban and Kishtwar which were earlier parts of Udhampur and Doda. District-level Independence Day celebrations were earlier held at Udhampur and Doda and officers from these areas had to go there for participation.

Although district status for these three administrative units was announced in 2006, this Independence Day is the first public function to be held after the appointment of deputy commissioners and other officers concerned.

Deputy commissioner, Reasi, Sanjeev Verma, said people were very enthusiastic and they were asking the administration to make the event memorable.

At Reasi preparations are in full swing to ensure participation of as many as schoolchildren in Bharatiyam - a cultural item depicting unity in diversity. Experts from outside the state have been called to train the children.

Similar enthusiasm is being seen at Ramban. Deputy commissioner A.D. Shanas, while reviewing arrangements for the Independence Day celebrations, called upon the officers to make the celebrations a historical event. A committee headed by assistant commissioner (Revenue) has been set up to arrange a cultural bonanza by students on the auspicious day.

As far as Kishtwar is concerned, enthusiasm of people can be gauged from the fact that preparations for this event started one month ago.

Top Harkat militant killed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 12
Two persons, including a district commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, have been killed in the state since yesterday,while a major tragedy was averted after a 10-kg IED was detected on time in Pulwama district today.

District commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Abu Shaheen Afghani from Pakistan, was killed in an encounter with the police and security forces near Sopore town in Baramula district today. One AK rifle, two magazines, one pistol, two magazines 30 rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter at Krankshivan, the police said. The militant had been operating in the Shiv-Dangerpora area and reportedly planning to strike in Sopore on the eve of Independence Day.

Unidentified militants shot dead SPO Sher Mohammad near Hiloor Kuntwara in Kishtwar district when he was on his way home. The police and security forces detected an IED kept in a hot case on roadside near the Court Complex in Pulwama district. It was later defused without causing any harm.

CRPF personnel also recovered a live grenade from a short coat in Kalwal Mohalla, Rainawar, here last night.

Decks cleared for trial run of train in valley
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 12
With eight coaches and two diesel multiple units (DMUs) having reached Budgam by road, decks have been cleared for the trial run of the first-ever train in the Kashmir valley.

Railway engineers have started re-assembling these coaches in the Budgam workshop where these were driven 300 km on road from here with a modified base of truck tyres attached with a powerful truck. This was the first such experience for Railway engineers to drive the coaches and DMUs through the mountain roads.

Shiv Ram, divisional railway engineer, said here on Wednesday that 10 more coaches were parked at the Railway siding here for transportation to Srinagar. The work was targeted to be completed in two months so that a set of two trains could run simultaneously in the valley.