Jammu, March 12
Even as the state government has announced to dig deep wells to cope with water scarcity, inhabitants of the Jammu region, especially of the Kandi belt, are in for tough times in the coming summer season due to the depletion of most natural resources. The prolonged dry spell in the state is the main reason for the depletion of these resources.

The government resolve to dig deep wells would not yield expected results as taking heavy machinery to most of these Kandi areas is not possible due to the absence of road connectivity. Moreover, the water level, especially in the Kandi belt, has gone so deep that it would be a difficult task for the authorities to tap it.

Although most parts of the Jammu region have been confronting the same problem, the situation is worst in Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua and Samba districts where a majority of the natural resources have already depleted.

Most of the remote Kandi areas in the Nowshere belt of Rajouri district have been confronting an acute scarcity of drinking water owing to the depletion of natural resources like fresh water springs. The authorities too could not dig deep wells in these areas due the absence of road connectivity.

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that three deep wells dug in Kalsai, Chowki and Nowshere areas during the past three years have gone dry due to the prolonged dry spell.

"If the present situation persists for two more months, there would a scramble for water in the Kandi belt", said an engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department. "What to talk of the Kandi areas the situation is no different in the plains due to the lowering of the water level in most parts of the Jammu region", he added.

Taj Mohi-ud-din, Minister for PHE and Irrigation, has admitted that ground water tapping was very difficult in these Kandi areas. These areas with very low water levels requires deep drilling for which road connectivity was inevitable. The minister admitted that local springs, wherever available, having good discharge had already been tapped. These springs, however, have depleted during the past few years, leading to drinking water scarcity in certain areas.

In view on the non-availability of sustainable sources, the government has initiated steps for deep-drilling of tubewells by deploying latest drilling machines in these areas.

Being aware that the digging of deep tubewells is not possible in many areas, the government is also contemplating to lift water from some rivers to quench the thirst of people in the coming summer.

As scarcity of water is emerging as the biggest problem in the picturesque resorts like Pantitop, the government has made a proposal for lifting water from the Tawi river to Patnitop. The government had also conducted a survey to lift water from the Chenab but the proposal did not prove feasible as it involved lifting water in nine stages.

Jammu, March 12
Attribute it to population explosion in the past 20 years vis-à-vis moral degradation in materialistic society, immoral trafficking via cellphones has spread its tentacles here in the winter capital. Yet again on March 10, the police unearthed another racket allegedly involved in immoral trafficking.

The police arrested three persons, including a young girl, who had been blackmailing a man, Naresh Kumar of Trikuta Nagar, after the gang clicked his nude photographs with the girl in a hotel room in the railway station area.

Naresh was trapped by the girl and subsequently her two male accomplices clicked his nude photographs with the girl after taking them to the hotel room, said a police officer.

The victim had coughed up Rs 24,000 to the girl and her accomplices because they had threatened him of circulating his photographs, but the gang again demanded Rs 1 lakh forcing Naresh to approach the Bus Stand police, he added.

The male members of the racket have been identified as Ashwani Sharma of Nagrota and Rohit Kumar of Jain Bazaar, while the girl has been identified as Shazia of Janipur.

The latest incident once again brought to the fore a disturbing fact that illegal flesh trade rackets have spread their tentacles in the winter capital.

However, SP City (North) Randeep Kumar doesn’t feel that sex rackets have been degenerating Jammu society.

“Wherever we suspect some any foul play, we immediately raid premises and places. But I will not be able to say that flesh trade has increased or decreased in the winter capital over the years,” said Randeep.

However, the police certainly keeps a strict vigil on immoral trafficking and initiates stern action against the culprits, he added.

All said and done, last year incidents, including involvement of a TV journo Sunil Kumar Khatri in alleged sexual exploitation of a 21-year-old girl on April 27 and unearthing of a sex racket being run by a self-proclaimed doctor Shrivasta Virk in Trikuta Nagar locality on April 6, evidently reflect that the temple city has fallen into the trap of sex racketeers.

Divulging about modus operandi of sex rackets operating in the temple city, sources in the police said such women and girls settle deals on cellphones through their pimps. Rackets operating in the city not only have women, but also young girls from well-to-do families, they added. Such girls leave their houses on the pretext of pursuing their studies, but indulge into immoral activities to make fast and easy money, they said. A police officer candidly admitted that Jammu society has been witnessing degeneration.

Srinagar, March 12
Foreign militants who have completed their jail terms should be repatriated to their countries of origin, the State Human Rights ommission(SHRC) has said and asked the state government to take up the issue with the Centre.

The recommendations to this effect have been made by Justice Syed Bashiruddin, Chairman of the commission, after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the Kot Balwal jail in Jammu last month, SHRC sources said.

There are 72 foreign nationals in the jail, 13 of them convicts, nine are under trial and 50 booked under the Public Safety Act.

"Many of the inmates said they had either served the awarded sentences or completed their detention period. One of them stated that he had been in jail for the past 15 years," the SHRC Chairman said in his report.

"The inmates who have served their terms and against whom no cases are pending cannot be held indefinitely," he said, adding that "the cases of such detainees have to be taken up with the Centre so that they are repatriated to their countries of origin".

He said the government should in all "seriousness" initiate and expedite the process of repatriation.

The SHRC Chairman said the detainees complained that they were not being provided transportation facilities to face trial in Reasi, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar. " They are not able to appear before the courts on the fixed dates. The proceedings get delayed ultimately leading to inordinate delay in disposal of cases," he said. — PTI 

Sunaina Kaul: Looking at the backlog, it seems that the pace of disposing of cases is slow. Why is it so?

SF: Though the commission is doing its best, some complainants withdraw their cases half way, which hinders the working. Another major reason is that the commission was without chief. Now, I am here and we will be speeding up the work and help provide timely justice to complainants.

Dinesh Bhat (student): Are orders of the commission followed in right earnest? We often read that commissions are without teeth.

SF: Our decisions and recommendations are mandatory and they have to be followed. Whenever there is a laxity, we follow it up through the government. There are several departments, like the police department, which need to regularly follow up the orders, but cops are least cooperative.

RKK: Whether the SCW takes suo-motto cognisance of cases pertaining to atrocities on women? If so, what it did in the case of interfaith marriage of Amina Yousuf, aka Anchal Sharma, with Rajnish Sharma, who was allegedly killed in custody?

SF: We do take suo-motto cognisance of cases, but I took over just a fortnight back and hence, I don’t know about this particular case.

AW: How many complaints have been lodged with the commission ever since you took over as the chairperson?

SF: I have received just two complaints (one from Srinagar and one from Jammu) till today. Both cases pertain to domestic violence. Both cases are under process and the commission has summoned the families.

Dinesh Manhotra (DM): Being an active politician, are you doing justice to your job as chairperson of the women commission?

SF: No doubt I am an MLA of the National Conference, but I have also been assigned the important job of protecting the rights of women. I am doing both jobs simultaneously without any discrimination. Being chairperson of the women commission my only job is to protect the rights of women and there is no question of implementing my party’s agenda in the commission.

As an MLA, I have other commitments which I am trying to fulfill in my constituency not as a chairperson of women commission but as a representative of people.

DM: You have been trying to rope in some NGOs to make the commission more vibrant. Don’t you think that most of these so-called social organisations have been working to get government grants?

SF: I agree. We have already received a number of complaints against some NGOs. A large number of NGOs have been working only to pocket government grants.

DM: How do you keep a check on such NGOs?

SF: Being in the government, we have different agencies to keep a check on such NGOs, especially to monitor whether they are properly utilising government funds or not. I have convened a meeting of some NGOs in which a clear direction was given to them. Further, we will also develop some mechanism to monitor these organisations.

Ashutosh Sharma (AS): The commission's recommendations for the reservation of seats in public transport, besides separate queues for women at the public distribution outlets have gone unheeded. Would you take up such issues that ask for special treatment to women?

SF: Personally, I don’t believe in that. When we talk about equality and women consider themselves no less than men, such provisions hold little significance. Today, women are excelling in every field, be it politics, science and technology, art or any other sector. Therefore, they don’t need any such privilege.

AS: For the past seven years, the scope of commission was limited. How have you been diversifying it?

SF: We have been holding various programmes like public awareness camps. In such camps, men are also invited and their views are also sought vis-à-vis women emancipation.

Jammu, March 12
In a change of strategy to avoid casualties in its ranks, militants have triggered 11,876 explosions that claimed 1,754 lives while 15,589 were injured during the last two decades in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the latest official data of the state Home Ministry, militants have now resorted to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and grenade attacks to avoid direct conflict with the security forces in the state since 1990.

"Militants are using IEDs and grenades as a tool to cause casualties to the security forces and civilians, and thereby avoiding direct conflict with security personnel. This is part of their target-and-hit strategy to avoid own casualties," a senior police officer told PTI.

Of these 11,876 explosions, 5,682 were caused by IEDs and 6,194 by grenades. The highest number of explosions (1,522) took place in 1990, followed by 1,005 in 1993, it said.

Similarly, the maximum number of casualties reported was 153 and 1,021 injured in 1995. While 133 were killed and 1,443 injured in 2001, the report said, adding that the number of blasts in those two years were 945 and 775, respectively. However, there was a fall in grenade attacks during the past two years with 79 and 170 blasts in 2009 and 2008, respectively.

About 47 were killed and 208 injured in these grenade attacks, the report added. — PTI 

Jammu, March 12
At a time when the state is suffering from acute power crisis and the government is taking serious efforts to overcome the problem, government departments seem not to be serious in energy conservation. Even the guidelines issued to public and private departments to preserve the energy by applying various new techniques have been blatantly ignored.

Like other departments, the police authorities are also not ready to pay any heed towards the problem.

With summer knocking at the door, power cuts have already started haunting residents. Still a number of police stations in the city are using high-voltage bulbs, besides using CFLs, which consumes less energy as compared to the ordinary bulbs.

The Tribune team conducted a survey in the evening and found that most of the police stations and police posts in the city were using bulbs, giving two hoots to the suggestions of the Power Department.

A number of police stations, including Gandhi Nagar, Bus Stand, Residency Road and Panjtirthi, were found using bulbs even during the daytime.

The situation became grave when this correspondent asked a constable that why they were using high-voltage bulbs inside the police station. He said: “It doesn’t matter whether it is bulb or CFL or tube, the purpose is to lit the premises. If the department will provide us any cheaper or low-voltage light gadgets, then only we can install them”.

At a time when modern gadgets like solar bulbs and other cheaper devices are available in the markets and the government is also providing subsidy on these gadgets for their promotion, still the public departments are not ready to follow the instructions.

“A bulb consumes four to five times more power than any CFL. A number of times the government has distributed CFLs free of cost, still their own departments are not ready to act or implement power-saving guidelines,” said Harjit Singh, who runs an NGO to save the energy.

Vinod Kumar, another social activist, said: “One should realise his or her responsibility towards society and take steps to save the energy”.

However, when asked why the police was not adopting any public-friendly measures to save the energy, a senior police officer retorted: “We also want to save the energy, but the lack of funds is the reason behind using high-voltage gadgets”.

Srinagar, March 12
The talent hunt for a new music sensation of the valley that saw scores of participants competing in a series of rounds and vocal performances is on way to completion. The stage is set for the grand finale of the valley’s famed reality show “JK Bank Milay Sur - A talent hunt initiative” with musical event to be telecast live on DD Kashmir from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on March 15. The gala event would mark the end of talent hunt series, said an official statement, adding that renowned singers and musicians of the state and Bollywood would be present on the occasion.

“Performance of top five participants who made it to the grand finale would be judged by music experts and renowned singers and musicians,” the statement said.

Doordarshan Srinagar, it added, received more than 700 participants during auditions for the second session of the reality show, out of which 332 participants qualified the screening test. The programme is being sponsored by Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Out of the selected participants competing in “Sur” round, 168 participants qualified for “Sur-Taal” round and 92 participants were shortlisted for track round, which continued for 21 episodes.

As many as 58 participants got selected for the first competitive round that continued for 13 episodes. Then 28 contestants were selected for second competitive round that continued for seven episodes. The competition became stiffer and five contestants made it to the final. Officials of Jammu and Kashmir Bank said, “As per the commitment of bank, the first three winners would be awarded Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively.”

Notably the grand finale would see the participants performing both Kashmiri and Hindi film songs. Knowledge of Kashmiri music and language was made mandatory during the entire event.