Jammu, June 12
Despite its huge hydroelectric potential, the state has to import electricity from the northern grid to meet its demand. With the hydroelectric potential of more than 20,000 MW, the state has so far exploited only 1,478 MW i.e. only 9 per cent of the total potential.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during his recent meeting with officials of the Power Development Department (PDD) had said the state was facing transmission and distribution losses of more than 60 per cent of the total generation.

Official figures state that the transmission and distribution losses in the state are about 50 per cent while the rest 13 per cent are collection losses, making it an aggregate of 63 per cent.

Sources in the PDD say another disturbing factor is that with such a huge hydroelectric potential, the state has to purchase 90 per cent of the total electricity consumed in 2006-07 from the central power agencies.

Though the state government had initiated measures to tap the potential, no major project has been taken up so far. Some projects have been commissioned, but these do not fulfill the requirement.

“The Dulhasti power project in Kishtwar with a capacity of 390 MW was commissioned during 2007-08. Seven more projects with an installed capacity of 2,799 MW have also been started through the NHPC,” an official said.

He said, “Six power projects with installed capacity of 453 MW have been taken up for execution”.

Six grid stations in Kathua, Samba, Hiranagar (Kathua), Bari Brahamna (Jammu), Zainakote (Srinagar) and Pampore (Pulwama) with 360 MW capacity are almost complete, but have not been commissioned so far.

As per the chief engineer of the maintenance and repair work of the PDD, the total production in the state is between 1300 and 1400 MW, whereas the total requirement of the state is around 1800 MW.

He says the department has been meeting the requirement by curtailing around 40 per cent of the supply to different areas of the state.

Udhampur, June 12
Following a failure of the political groups to fulfill their long-pending demand, villagers of four panchayats - Painthal, Sool, Kakrhayal and Bhagata - of the Tikri block have threatened to revive their agitation which was suspended after the assurance of the government agencies and political parties.

Inhabitants of the panchayats have been opposing the decision of the state government to include their areas in the newly carved Reasi district. Interestingly, the parties of Udhampur district have been supporting the members of the panchayats, while as the leaders of Reasi are also united in opposing any move to detach this belt from their areas.

These panchayats were part of Udhampur before the creation of Reasi district. Although the panchayats were located just a few km from the district headquarters of Udhampur, these areas were included in Reasi district. Since then, the inhabitants of these areas have been agitating and demanding the detachment of their panchayats from Reasi district.

“We have to cover a distance of 50 km to reach the district headquarters for any official work,” Swamiraj, a resident of Painthal, said, and pointed out that Udhampur was just 12 km away from their native place.

Comprising a population of more than 10,000, inhabitants of this belt have floated the Tikri Action Committee to intensify their stir. In 2008, people had launched a mass movement in this belt. The agitation was later suspended following the assurance of a few officials to exclude these areas from Reasi district.

During the recent visit of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), the members of these panchayats met him and highlighted their problems. They asked the Chief Minister to solve the problems once for all otherwise they would revive their stir.

Srinagar, June 12
Srinagar, located at the centre of the Kashmir valley surrounded by snow-clad mountains with its waters flowing down the Jhelum passing through the city, has an organised system of water supply schemes since 1906. The demand for potable drinking water, however, has been on the rise with the increasing population.

Against the requirement of 63 MGD per day, there are only 57 MGD available for a population of over 14 lakh. An increase in the availability of potable drinking water with the opening of two more plants is expected to overcome the deficit shortly.

According to official sources, the drinking water availability would be deficit by 46.45 MGD by 2021.

Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohi-ud-Din has said the government is making efforts to ensure the completion of ongoing water supply schemes within the stipulated time frame to make available potable drinking water to maximum people.

He said this while inspecting the 2.25-MGD water supply scheme-cum-filtration plant Doodganga in Kralpora, 10 MGD Rangil-II and 10 MGD Tangnar here recently. With the commissioning of these projects, 18 MGD water would be added to the existing capacity, Taj added.

The Doodganga project, started in 2007, is coming up at a total cost of Rs 8.82 crore out of which Rs 6.44 crore has been spent by March end. The project is nearing completion and would provide potable drinking water to about 60,000 people of Chanapora, Batmaloo, Humhama, Lal Nagar, Gulshan Nagar, Magarmalbagh, Haribala, Peerbagh Hyderpora and some parts of Nowgam on the periphery of the capital city.

The minister also inspected WSS Rangil 10 MGD Rangil-II, involving Rs 44.42 crore. This project would provide safe drinking water to about 2.90 lakh residents of Qamarwari, Parampora, Shalteng, Mujgund and Bemina housing colonies.

Taj also inspected Jhelum-sourced Tangnar lift-cum-water treatment plant coming up at an estimated cost of Rs 148 crore. With the completion of this project, about 1.74 lakh people of Chhatergam, Khanmouh, Khrew, Kandzal, Pampore, Baghat Kanipora, Batwara, Panthachowk and Athwajan villages would get increased water supply. The work on the project was started in January 2009.

The minister also took stock of the work of the replacement of old pipelines from Nishat to Zainsha Masjid via Foreshow road being executed by the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA). The total length of the pipeline is 12.60 km of which 11.82 km has been completed with the utilisation of Rs 11 crore. After the completion of this project, 1.86 lakh people of Sadikadal, Zinsha Masjid, Rainawari, Soorateng, Shiraj Nowhata, Nadiyar and Hariparbat would be benefited.

Meanwhile, in order to overcome the demand in some areas of the city, the Public Health and Engineering (PHE) department has been providing drinking water through tankers. There are 18 tankers which are regularly put on service across the city to augment the water supply.

Jammu, June 12
Once a tourist hot spot, the Sanasar Lake, near Patnitop, now lies deserted. People who would make sure to visit Sanasar while visiting Patnitop now bypass this venue. The obvious reason is the conversion of the serene lake into marshland in the past three years.

Though a cleanliness drive has begun over less than a week, the inordinate delay has already taken its toll. If this was not enough, the bad state of recreational centres, including hotels/restaurants, has done the rest. The state tourism seems to have woken up as it has started taking measures to revive the place.

Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora, who initiated the cleanliness drive, said, “After seeing its pathetic condition, I gave orders to clean the lake. Though it was suggested to take advice from an expert or environmentalist, I did not want to lose the precious time in any inane exercise”.

The lake needs to be cleaned of marsh and weeds every year, but the lackadaisical approach of the state government has ruined the place, and people who were making their living on tourism around this lake are facing penury.

Karnail Singh, a horse rider, said, “The word has already spread over these years and people who used to visit the place due to its serene location have stopped coming altogether. Now, people like us are finding it difficult to make both ends meet”. He said the work was started last year, but it was left midway, which failed to serve any purpose.

Joint director, tourism, SK Sahni said the work to clean the lake would be finished in a week. It would be cleaned properly from the bottom with the help of machines. Besides, a world-class walkway would also be constructed.

A hotel at the lake, which is run by the Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), where the peeling plaster and seepage has worsened its state, too, calls for immediate attention. The lack of decent food outlets and a cafeteria is another drawback.

Zora said, “The JKTDC hotel will be renovated. New restaurant huts, cafeteria and eating outlets will also be added by the end of this year”.

Udhampur, June 12
Conceding to the long-pending demands of the people of Kishtwar, Ramban, Samba and Reasi, the district status was granted to these regions in 2006 with a promise to accelerate development in these backward areas by creating new administrative units.

However, it failed to improve the lot of the people due to non-availability of basic infrastructure in these new administrative units. Kishtwar is a glaring example of the hardships being faced by its inhabitants despite being given the district status.

It was after a three-decade long struggle of the people of this backward area that Kishtwar was granted the district status in 2006. The much-publicised Wazir Commission in its report had recommended district status for Kishtwar in 1984, but the successive state governments took two decades to consider the recommendation.

“There is no end to our problems,” Shakir Sadique, a social activist of Kishtwar said. He pointed out that due to the non-availability of proper infrastructure and the shortage of administrative staff, residents had been facing problems.

The then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had taken credit of creating four new districts in the Jammu region, had directed the district-level officers to visit Kishtwar twice a week to solve the problems of its people on their doorsteps, but his directions remained only on papers.

“Some posts of district-level officers have been lying vacant for long,” Sadique said, adding that the construction of an administrative complex was also going at a snail’s pace. He was of the opinion that officers should be directed to visit Kishtwar twice a week to listen to the grievances of the people at the district headquarters. “People have to travel to Doda for several administrative works,” Abdul Sajjad said.

Kishtwar deputy commissioner GR Bhagat admitted that due to the staff shortage people had been facing hardships. “After the completion of the DC office complex, all officers would be available at the district headquarters,” he said, admitting that due to the lack of accommodation, offices were being functioning from private buildings.

Srinagar, June 12
The Kashmir valley registered five deaths due to HIV/AIDS in 2008 and at present there are more than 200 such cases in the valley. Experts in the field believe that as surveillance has been increased, more and more people are willing to come forward and get themselves tested. They say since social stigma is attached to AIDS, many people are not willing to come forward and cooperate with the authorities.

Prof Mushtaq Ahmad Sidiqee, head of the department of immunology at the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, says, “The higher number of HIV positive cases is not a result of incidence, but because of increased surveillance. As the number of voluntary services has been created, we may be able to get detect more such cases.”

Comparing the figures of such cases in Kashmir with other parts of India, the professor said, “We can never term it as increasing.”

More than 200 HIV positive cases are reported in Kashmir, he says, as compared to 1,800 in Jammu and 24 million across India.

He said the people should not get worried but this doesn’t mean that they become complacent.

Accepting that the number of such cases can be more and because of stigma they are not coming forward, the professor said, “Our annual survey shows that 0.01 per cent of population is affected by AIDS and even if we calculate that situation is worse, then the figures may go up to 0.06 per cent.”

He attributes less number of HIV positive cases to militancy, massive campaigning by newspapers and awareness campaigns launched by the health officials.

He said during 1988-2000, when the world witnessed AIDS as epidemic, “militancy in Kashmir kept it away as we didn’t received many risk factors. “Besides, the SKIMS and the State Aids Prevention Control Society have organised massive awareness programmes in educational institutions across the valley telling the people about the negative implications associated with this virus,” he said.

Mushtaq said better treatment facility had also attracted the attention of the affected people.

“A few years ago, when a certificate was given to a person suffering from the virus, it was considered as a death certificate. Now, better treatment facilities have increased the longevity and more people visit the hospital,” the professor said.

“Security forces come under high-risk group factor. Out of more than 200 HIV patients, half of them are security forces personnel. Except the Army, we undertake their testing and counselling,” he said, adding hierarchy in security forces should take care of their cadre so that the virus was not transmitted to others.

Out of the detected cases, 70 are under treatment while the rest are on follow-up, says the doctor.

Jammu, June 12
Residents of ward number 44, Nanak Nagar, suffer the apathy of the Municipal Corporation due to the pitiable condition of sanitation in the area.

Kailash Rani, councillor of the ward, died two years ago and after her death, this ward is looked after by her son, Arvind Sharma. Garbage on the main road in front of a few shops in Sector 7 has created a constant nuisance for the residents of the area, particularly for the shopkeepers whose business is affected due to it.

Besides the people of this locality, the residents of the nearby localities also throw their domestic waste near the shops. The corporation not even places a single garbage bin in this area. As a result, it remains scattered here and there on the main road.

“The area has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and files and accumulated garbage always invites stray animals, which obstructs the free movement of passersby,” said Om Prakash, a resident of the area.

Foul smell coming out of it forces passersby to hold their breath till they cross a reasonable distance on this road. The sewer of the locality remains choked with garbage, thus hindering free flow of water.

Hari Om, a shopkeeper, said, “Accumulated and scattered garbage has given a shabby look to the entire locality and has proved to be a health hazard for us.”

“The accumulation of the garbage in front of my shop has led to a fall in the number of customers as most of them hesitate to visit my shop due to its foul smell which has affected my business adversely,” he said.

Sonia Sharma, running a boutique along with this shop, said, “It’s true that there is a lack of civic sense among the residents of the area, but the authorities have also ignored it. They come once in a week for the collection of garbage.Instead, they should come regularly.”

“No worker of the corporation comes to clear the garbage and maintain the sanitation in the area,” she said.

Expressing annoyance for the callous attitude of the authorities, Harban Sharma, another resident, said, “It is a big threat to our health. It can spread various diseases in the area. The corporation should lift it as soon as possible”.

Meanwhile, Mubarak Singh, municipal commissioner, said the ward was looked after by the corporation itself and not by Arvind. He said the corporation would conduct elections in the area as soon as possible. He also assured that he would look into the matter of the poor condition of sanitation in the area.

Srinagar, June 12
The construction work of Shri Pratap Singh (SPS) Museum, which is coming up over an area of 10,500 sq ft at an estimated cost of Rs 30.74 crore at Lal Mandi here, is likely to be completed by the end of next month.

So far, Rs 23.87 crore has been incurred under phase-1 in which the main five-storey building is being constructed.

An official spokesman said this information was given to Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora during his visit to the site recently. The museum would accommodate about 80,000 artifacts on varied subjects like archeology, numismatics, textiles, manuscript, decorative art, arms and armoury, anthropology, minerals, natural history and visual storage.

The building has been provided with central heating and cooling system. Besides, two lifts, a reception centre and a cafeteria would also come up. An auditorium facility has also been provided in the museum complex in which provision for holding exhibitions and seminars has been made.

The minister said the museum would be one of the best and largest museums in North India. He added that the museum would project the blend of modern and traditional heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the need for having a functional museum building was felt more than 100 years ago when the then Maharaja Ranbir Singh sanctioned Rs 40,000 for the construction of a museum. The idea could not mature till 2007, and after a long gap, the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad started this dream project for protecting the rich cultural heritage of the state.

With reference to reports published in J&K Plus on the water scarcity in the Jammu region, it is a harsh reality that with the arrival of the summer, water woes of residents aggravate. Though some residents also waste water,officials of the state Public Health and Engineering Department are mainly responsible for the wastage as they have not repaired leaking pipes.

The department needs to take stringent steps to control the wastage of water and also people should be made accountable, if they waste the precious natural resource.

Kulwant Singh, Nanak Nagar, Jammu

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