Jammu, June 3
If Mangalore witnessed one of the country’s worst aviation disasters on May 22 last year because of its table top airport, which led to the killing of 158 persons on board Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai, the existing Jammu airport also has all ingredients of a disaster.

As per a survey by the Director General of Civil Aviation, the airport of the capital city finds its name in the list of 11 “critical” airfields of the country.

With the Tawi flowing on one side and a nullah and densely populated localities on the other, Jammu Airport, which as of today has 6,700-ft-long runway, is almost a table top airport, considered tricky for aircraft landings and take offs, particularly in rainy and foggy season.

But it seems things have started to fall in place ever since the Union Government sanctioned Rs 61 crore to the state government for its expansion.

Talking to The Tribune, Jammu divisional commissioner Pawan Kotwal said as per a DGCA survey Jammu is among the 11 cities having “critical” airfields.

In two phases, the government in tandem with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has planned to expand and modernise Jammu airport.

“In the first phase, we have planned to increase the length of the runway by 1300 ft to make it a 8000-ft-long runway and in the second phase, the length of the strip will be increased by another 1000 ft,” said Kotwal. The work is yet to start on the ambitious project.

With the existing length of the runway, even the domestic flights are not able to carry their full capacity allowing only 150 to 180 passengers in their flights while bigger aircrafts are not able to land. In the existing scenario, no international flights operate from Jammu.

“Once we increased the length of the runway to 8000 ft and then to 9000 ft, the government will increase the parking base for aircrafts from three to six,” said the divisional commissioner.

In the final phase, the terminal building has to be improved, rather it has to be shifted to the Tawi side from its existing place, he added.

Talking about bottlenecks, Kotwal said for the purpose of expansion the government needed 144 kanal of land, which is presently with the Army, besides diverting three irrigation canals and a road, which bisects the existing Army cantonment.

The Army has been offered an alternative land near Sunjuwan Military Station and the Army authorities have also agreed to it, said the official.

But that land near Sunjuwan Military Station turned out to be part of a Bahu Game Reserve, which cannot be given to the Army by the state government unless the Supreme Court gives its consent. “So we took up the matter with the State Board of Wildlife, which in turn pleaded the case with the National Board of Wildlife, and after an extensive exercise, the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court has accorded its consent, but not before asking us to notify double the area of what will be given to the Army at Bahu Game Reserve,” he said.

Now, the Army authorities here have to seek permission from the Defence Ministry and that will be done only after the Central Cabinet clears it, he added. “While the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 61 crore for shifting Army utilities (Rs 9 crore) plus the cost of diverting the road and three irrigation canals, we have asked the AAI to start the spade work,” said the divisional commissioner.

“At least, we can start shifting the utilities where Army’s consent is not required and this is what we have conveyed to the AAI,” he said, adding that once the work gets started it should not take more than two years to complete the project.

Jammu, June 3
With the recent incident of drowning of a seven-year-old girl in a canal, the district administration has swung into action. The deputy commissioner has appealed to the people to adopt precautions while bathing in canals and rivers.

Though swimming and bathing in rivers and canals has been banned in the neighbouring states, in J&K, there is no such ban.

However, Sanjeev Verma, deputy commissioner, Jammu, told The Tribune that they were putting in maximum efforts to save precious lives by checking drowning incidents.

“We can’t put a ban on such practice as the rivers and canals are too long and it is impossible to keep a check on defaulters. So, we have been appealing the people for not allowing their children to swim in deep water bodies,” said Verma.

He hoped that their efforts would yield results in a short period. “We are going to launch a campaign in this regard. The administration has decided to publish advertisements in newspapers. Besides, we will also install notice boards appealing to the public for not allowing their children to swim in canals and rivers at some prominent places in the city and nearby villages,” he added.

Terming it a serious issue, he said the administration would also take suggestions from the public so that risk could be minimised. Another senior bureaucrat said the people should play an important role in this issue otherwise there was no method to keep a check on it.

“Those who don’t know swimming should avoid going near the canals and rivers, especially during the rainy season because that time the water flows at full tide and the level remains high, which normally results into tragic incidents, claiming a number of lives,” said a senior bureaucrat.

Jammu, June 3
Jammu and Kashmir is finally part of the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), with the state depositing Rs 365 crore in the CAMPA pool after a long dispute over the jurisdiction of the Central Government Forest Conservation Act was resolved recently.

The state had not implemented the Act under which CAMPA falls, arguing it has its own Forest Conservation Act 1997. As a result, money received for diversion of land for non-forestry purposes was not deposited in the CAMPA pool even though other states have been doing it for a few years now.

CAMPA was introduced in the state in November 2009, but no amount was deposited in the Central pool. Now, with the resolution of the issue, the state has kept its own Forest Conservation Act as well as its own CAMPA, but started depositing money in the pool.

The state, having its own constitution, requires all laws enacted by the Union Government to be passed by the state Legislative Assembly before implementation.

LK Sharma, chief conservator, CAMPA, and media officer, state Forest Department, said the issue was finally resolved with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommending to the Supreme Court that due to peculiar circumstances of the state, only money collected under net present value (NPV) of the diverted forest and wildlife sanctuary land should be deposited in the CAMPA account.

It means that the state, which enjoys special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, can keep funds collected under compensatory afforestation, compensation of trees and cost of damage.

CAMPA is a revolutionary scheme initiated by the Supreme Court, which said the diversion of forestland for non-forestry purposes should be discouraged by imposing hefty compensation for the purpose.

Under it a Central Empowered Committee was formed which after years of discussions and deliberations established a scientific system of calculating the loss caused by the diversion of land.

CAMPA underlines that the title of the forestland would never change and it would remain as forestland. It has to be returned to the Forest Department once the purpose for which it was diverted was no longer required. It also laid down the net present value of the forest, substitute land for afforestation or double the amount if no land was available, compensation for trees (again double amount taken) and cost of damage to the forest or the infrastructure of the department.

Sharma revealed that the CEC recommendation came on the basis that when the state was calculating the NPV under the CAMPA formula laid down by the Supreme Court, it has to pay the NPV to the pool.

“We had collected about Rs 570 cr till date from 2004-o5 onwards for the diversion of land, out of which Rs 365 cr has been deposited. The remaining amount is with us,” he stated.

With JK annual plan providing just about Rs 15 cr for the Forest Department, which is roughly 0.4 per cent of the total plan, CAMPA amount is a major bonus. “Earlier, the money could not be utilised, but now after clearance from the CEC, we can get 10 per cent of the total amount per year for growth and

maintenance of forests,” added Suresh Gupta, principal conservator (east). Minister for Forests Mian Altaf had informed the state Assembly in March that in 2010-2011, Rs 21.01 crore was earmarked for CAMPA works against which Rs 13.54 crore had been spent till February 2011. Altaf said under CAMPA, Rs 39 lakh had been allotted in Anantnag forest division for the formation of nurseries.

He said Rs 35 lakh had also been allotted to the wildlife division of Anantnag for the creation of infrastructure in the area and Rs 10 lakh to liquidate the liabilities on account of ex-gratia and compensation due to the next of kin of the persons killed or injured by wild animals under the scheme. The minister said at Jogigund wildlife sanctuary, several activities had been carried out in the past five years.

He said Rs 29.25 lakh had been expended for the plantation of fruit bearing species, setting up of a rescue centre and a watch tower, erection of barbed wire, formation of nursery at Achabal, etc., during the period.

Tulmulla (Kashmir), June 3
Jana, a middle-aged Muslim woman, is eagerly waiting for June 9, hoping to meet some of her Kashmiri Pandit neighbours who left the strife-torn Valley and return only once a year for a festival at the temple of goddess Ragnya Devi here.

Jana sells arti thalis (plates used in worships) outside Kheer Bhawani temple, 27 km from Srinagar, and the reasons for her anticipation are twofold economic as well as social.

“A large number of Kashmiri Pandits used to live in my neighbourhood in Ganderbal but left the Valley in unfortunate conditions. Although we wish them to return permanently, this annual festival provides us with a chance to meet once in a year,” Jana said.

The devotees, mostly KPs, gather at the temple, which has a large number of springs, on the eighth day of the full moon in May or June. This year, the full moon falls on June 9.

According to belief, the goddess changes the colour of the spring's waters, which are ascribed to different manifestations of the goddess. Turning of the colour into shades of black is supposed to signal approaching disaster.

Many KPs and Muslims living in the Ganderbal area claim that before the exodus of the KPs from the Valley, the colour of the water had turned completely black in 1990.

Jana says that the annual festival also provides the local populace an opportunity to earn a livelihood. “The temple is thronged by Hindus throughout the year but at the time of the mela, the rush is huge which means good business for us,” she said.

However, she feels that it is not only about earning money. Many people from this area come and work as volunteers during the festival in the hope meeting an old friend or acquaintance among the Kashmiri Pandit devotees, she added.

Kheer Bhawani festival has emerged as a symbol of communal harmony in Kashmir over the past eight years. In 2003, more than 50,000 KPs visited the temple following efforts by the state government to assure the community about their safety.

Meanwhile, a Kashmiri Pandit organisation has claimed that nearly one lakh Kashmiri Pandits are expected to congregate at the Kheer Bhawani for the festival this year.

“We are expecting more than 80,000 KPs to be present at the three temples of Mata Kheer Bhawani,” All-Party Migrant Coordination Committee president Vinod Pandit said.

Last year, the festival at the ancient Kheer Bhawani temple here on the outskirts of Srinagar witnessed one of the biggest congregations of Pandits in Kashmir in the past 21 years.

Vinod appealed the government to make proper arrangements for accommodation for the devotees at the temple. — PTI

Srinagar, June 3
Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora has said that peace is must to flourish tourism industry in the state, adding that concerted efforts of the government have shown good results towards increasing tourist influx to the Valley. Speaking at a function organised by the Travel Agent Society of Kashmir (TASK) to apprise their suggestions and demands for the promotion of tourism in the Valley at Dal View Taj Hotel here recently, Jora said during the last over two years, focused attention had been paid on development of new tourism spots, besides upgrading of existing infrastructure to facilitate the visiting tourists. During the last over two years, a number of exemplary steps had been taken to promote varied tourism potential of the state.

He said focused attention had been given to upgrade infrastructure facilities, besides promotion of adventure, heritage, pilgrim and golf tourism remained a priority of the government.

Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Shah, president, TASK, Abdul Khaliq Wangnoo, vice-president, TASK, Zaffar Bokuto, and other members of the association besides senior officers of the Tourism Department were present on the occasion, an official spokesperson said.

The Minister said stakeholders in particular and civil society in general had to play their role towards maintaining complete peace and normalcy for showcasing the state’s tourism potential.

He said a vigorous publicity campaign had been launched by the government in and outside the country for showcasing the state’s rich tourism potential, adding that road shows, exhibitions and travel marts had been organised at various capital cities of the country and aboard to attract more and more tourists to visit the Valley. He said the State Tourism Department had also engaged a reputed advertising agency O&M to publicise the state’s tourism.

Jora said the government was encouraging all those stakeholders who desired to make tourism industry their livelihood. He said incentives and soft loans were being provided to those who want to set up their ventures under this sector. He said the government would also facilitate those tour and travel operators who intend to participate in publicity campaigns in and outside the country.

Responding to the demands of TASK, the Minister said online ticketing for Gondola riding would be introduced soon. He assured TASK that all their genuine demands would be mitigated on a priority. He said the matter for improvement and upgrading of Yusmarg, Chrar-i-Sharief, Doodpathri, Wullar Lake roads would be taken with concerned ministry at the earliest.

He said the issuance of special permits for new luxury cars with incentives, permission for entering tourist buses after return to different tourism spots, special airport entry passes to travel agents, direct plying of tourist taxis from Srinagar to various spots would be got redressed from proper forums at the earliest.

The Minister directed Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Shah, to identify suitable space for constructing convenience facilities at Nehru Park and Mughal Garden.

Around this time last year, work on giving a new look to the heart of the city and its commercial hub, Lal Chowk, was at its peak, although there was a delay in the completion of the project due to various reasons, including the summer unrest which had begun early by the end of May last year. The Clock Tower, which a number of times became a victim of violence at the hands of angry demonstrators, now stands in its new form (see photo).

Though the project awaits formal inauguration, it has started giving the city’s centre a new look and fascinating the tourists, particularly those visiting for the first time. Only last month, the authorities got rid of the trouble of traffic choking around the Clock Tower due to round-the-clock presence of taxi operators. The authorities have shifted the taxi stand to another location to keep the centre free of congestion. However, a lot needs to be done to keep the surroundings clean and good looking for the “face is the index of mind”.

Srinagar, June 3
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed various developmental activities and the situation in South Kashmir districts at Anantnag at a high-level meeting of his ministerial colleagues and senior officers recently. He stressed on fast tracking works and ensuring timeline completion of schemes and emphasised on the maintenance of quality and judicious spending of funds.

“Reaching out people on the development front all across the state for holistic and equitable development is the commitment of my government,” he told the officers, adding that the performance of administration at all levels would be judged by the promptness it shows to public needs and its effective delivery of service to the people.

The Chief Minister said Panchayat poll after a period of over 33 years had opened a new window in the development process and public representatives at grassroots would be actively involved in launch, implementation and monitoring of schemes at the Panchayat level.

“Public representatives and the administration have to work in coordination and cohesion to address public requirements on development front and complement each other in realising the goal of equitable and holistic development of the state,” he added.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the arrangements made for the conduct of Amarnath Yatra. He also took brief of the security arrangements put in place in this connection.

It was stated that as many as 280 roads and bridge schemes are currently under execution in South Kashmir at a cost of about Rs 257.70 crore.

Under a project of improvement and upgrading of roads in cities, towns and districts, over 125.85 km have been blacktopped in South Kashmir during the last year at a cost of over Rs 22.41 crore and 143.25 km have been targeted to be blacktopped during the current year.

It was informed that macadamisation on 17 important roads is presently on progress in South Kashmir while it has been completed on five roads.

The meeting was further told that 52 bridges at a cost of Rs 131.35 crore are under execution in South Kashmir and four bridges, including Aung Matipora, Mehmoodabad and Kapran, have been completed while Rambiara, Turukwangam, Kulpora, Nikloora, Bushi, Wanpora bridges are likely to be completed during the current fiscal. In addition, bridges at Kherpora, Brijgora Club Park Pahalgam, Reshi Negri and Bungam have been proposed for this year.

The Chief Minister later inspected the construction work of 300-bedded District Hospital, Anantnag, being executed at a cost of Rs 60 crore.