Jammu, July 15
With the monsoon becoming active again, moderate showers, which lashed the region on Thursday, threw the normal life in the city completely out of gear.

It also exposed the lack of preparedness of the local administration and the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in tackling with the perennial problem of water clogged drains, inundated roads and streets.

Several areas in the city were submerged under water and dug-up roads and those with potholes made life miserable for pedestrians. The vehicular traffic also came to a halt. Driving past flooded roads turned into a nightmare as gushing rainwater seeped into the moving vehicles.

The situation was worst at the canal road, especially opposite the house of former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, which looked like a huge pool of water. The vehicles trying to pass through the accumulated water were also seen getting break down in the clogged water.

“I was forced to leave my vehicle and cross the road barefooted with my pants folded,” said Jitender Singh, a motorist.

Though the showers last for a short time, it brought the failure of the administration to the fore, which has always claimed to have fully prepared to deal with the situation.

The condition was worst in the old city where most of the roads have been dug up. The rainwater entered into a number of houses and shops.

“It rained only for an hour or so and see what damage it has done. Now wonder what will be the situation in the coming days when the monsoon will be at its peak. The tall claims made by the authorities have fallen flat. Despite this, no one is ready to find out any permanent solution to this perpetual problem,” said Aniket Sharma, a local resident.

A spokesperson for the JMC said rainwater did accumulate in some low-lying areas of the city, but the situation was normal in other parts of the city.

“We are on the job and all efforts are afoot to deal with the situation arising due to rains. Water pumps have been made operational in several areas and where the work is left, it will be completed within a short time,” the spokesperson added. He further said special attention was being given to the low-lying areas in the city.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted more rain in the next two-three days.

Srinagar, July 15
Minister for Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora has stated that the state is witnessing increased number of tourists this season and complimented the people for their cooperation in bringing back the state towards peace and normalcy, which he says is imperative for the flourishing tourism industry.

The minister was speaking at the inaugural session of a tourism convention, organised by the Tourism Department, Kashmir branch, to acquaint those related to the industry about tourist trade laws, rules and procedure for registrations besides, interaction with them for further promotion of tourism.

The convention was attended by representatives of various trade associations, besides senior officers of the department.

Jora said it was the collective responsibility of all to make the state a prosperous one as it had abundant tourism potential which needed to be tapped in the right way. “Our efforts should be to extend the holidays of visiting tourists from five to 12 days in the Valley by providing them better hospitality, for which Kashmiris are well known around the world,” he asserted.

Replying to the observations by the speakers on the occasion, Jora said that tourism Ministry has framed a road map for bringing new destinations on world tourism map besides, upgrading of infrastructure at all tourists spots and promotion of varied tourism activities in the State.

The Minister said a ring corridor of new tourism destinations was being developed, for which several tourism development authorities have been set up for the creation of infrastructure facilities.

Jora said Kashmir was not only famous for its leisure tourism but also for other products, which were being developed and showcased in a proper manner. He said efforts were on to make Gulmarg an international skiing resort for which one more chairlift costing Rs 18 crore from Affarwat to Marryshoulder would be commissioned by September this year.

Srinagar, July 15
Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, has sought stronger disaster management bodies which require the raising of at least two battalions of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) out of the police to deal with natural disasters.

Khoda was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day state-level workshop on “Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation” with focus on the role of civil defence and other organisations.

He informed that to have a dedicated force, two Coys of Auxiliary Police Bns had been earmarked as SDRF in 2009. The police personnel belonging to both Auxiliary Police Bns stationed at Srinagar and Jammu had already been trained, he said.

The DGP appreciated the initiatives taken by the Directorate of Home Guards and Auxiliary Police, which had rendered commendable services during disasters like the snow storm in south Kashmir, earthquake in 2005 or cloudburst in Leh last year. “Our volunteers have always been at the service of the people, even during the routine events or at it the religious festivals,” Khoda said.

The DGP also informed that efforts had been continuing to procure the latest equipments besides imparting necessary training to the police personnel and Civil Defence volunteers to keep them abreast with latest knowledge and technology in the field. He said that dealing with disasters was not possible by single organisation and, therefore, efforts were on to involve others who could be of immense help in propagating the safety precautions like educational institutions, NGOs etc. “It has become imperative to have the subject included in the school curriculum,” Khoda maintained.

Nowshera, July 15
Next time you see a mule carrying some Army stuff on a narrow trail on a rocky hill, don’t think of it as a just another animal. For, he is the one of the few thousand mules that undergo a unique and rigorous training and serve as the vital cog in the Indian Army.

Peace or war, the mules of the unique Animal Battalion nestled in the scenic surroundings of Nowshera belt carry on serving the Army unsung, but undefeated despite advancement in scientific instruments and mechanisation.

America has long ago discontinued their use and India had almost followed the pursuit, but for the Kargil War, which made not only India but many in the world realise that they were still the best means of providing supplies to the forward posts during war as well as in peace.

And they just don’t live an ordinary mule’s life. With one soldier attending to two mules round the clock, taking care of food, training, health, changing horseshoe every month, vaccination, deworming and shaving of hair, mules live life king-size, feeding on the best barleys, hay, grams and all kinds of protein.

Moreover, once they attain the age of superannuation, that is 18, but are still capable of continuing with the service, they are no longer tied, given the better food and allowed to roam free within the premises.

Tayi, one such mule, aged 28, roams freely and eats choicest green grass on the premises. She is kept with special care as she can beat the record of a mule in North East, who had lived up to the age of 31 years.

“These mules are well-trained to even help a soldier pull himself out from a small ditch. They provide all supplies to forward posts and it was these mules only which replenish the supplies at Kargil hills. They played a vital role in winning the war,” said the Commanding Officer of the Battalion (name withheld).

There are six such battalions in the country. One of the biggest one is here. The mules, bred in Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, are one of the finest in the world. But their real work starts when they reach here.

The CO revealed the remount training includes initial training, advance training and battle inoculation. In the initial training, the mules are accustomed to human touch. They are not picketed and turned loose in a paddock with a sand bath. Slowly they are trained to cross through water bodies.

In advance training, the mules are made fit for carrying loads, and for long period of work and draught. In battle inoculation, they are made fit to work in battle condition. The mules are taught how to remain calm and composed amidst noise of the battle.

“The mules and the battalion have worked silently. They are rarely paraded and showcased as the mettle of the Army. It was only after the Kargil war that praise flowed. The battalion got commendation certificates as well,” revealed a senior officer.

And the attendants don’t treat the mules as animals, “Soldiers are so attached to the mule they work for years that when the time of separation comes, emotions run high,” the officer said.

The mules join at the age of 30 months or so. They serve with honour and when they cannot work any more, they sleep with honour. “The process is to feed them sleeping pills. This saves them from dying in pain. They cannot be discarded as they would surely die pulling a cart or butchered,” alleged an officer.

Srinagar, July 15
The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (J&K ERA) under the drainage sub-sector of the urban component of its ongoing Asian Development Bank-funded multi-sector infrastructure rehabilitation project (MIRP) has so far spent Rs 65 crore on drainage sub-projects in the city. This would benefit around 70,000 persons living in the area, an official spokesman said.

The projects, which are the first of its kind in the state being executed by the JKERA along the national highway bypass from Bemina Chowk to Pohru Chowk, have been divided into three sub-projects.

The project involves construction of deep drains, main drains and sub-mains, besides the construction of sumps/pumping stations.

Director, Urban, JKERA, OP Dubey, who had recently inspected various drainage works being executed by the JKERA along the national highway bypass, was informed by GH Ganaie, project manager, urban (Kashmir), that the agency had completed 35 km of deep drain, main drains and sub-mains.

Besides, 0.504 km out of the total of 0.868 km of pipe jacking on the Pohru-Chanapora drainage sub-project had been completed.

Later, Dubey also visited Hyderpora Chowk along with the project manager and SP Traffic, Srinagar, Maqsood-u-Zaman, where work on a 6-m trunk drain is underway.

He was informed that out of 340 m of deep drain from Hyderpora Chowk to the post office lane, 240 m had been completed and the remaining portion would be completed within the next three weeks. Utmost caution was being taken by the agency to prevent any damage to the adjacent structures, including the flyover and other residential and commercial structures.

Dubey instructed ERA engineers and contractors to take necessary steps to accelerate the pace of work and to take all safety measures during the execution of work. He also had an interaction with some locals present at the site, who appreciated the manner in which work is being undertaken by the agency.

He thanked the locals for showing patience and cooperating with ERA engineers and contractors during the execution of work.

The famous Amirakadal Bridge on the Jehlum river in the heart of Srinagar always remain abuzz with a large number of activities. Not only people use it for crossing over to the Lal Chowk, but the bridge in itself acts as a mini market as a large number of hawkers could be seen selling their goods on both the sides of the bridge (see photo). While one side of the bridge is occupied by the fisherwomen who sell various kinds of fish, the other side of the bridge has a long line of hawkers selling electronic goods. From Chinese mobiles to emergency torches, radio sets, these roadside dealers sell all type of cheap China-made electronic goods. Because of the presence of these hawkers on both the sides of the bridge, the bridge faces a lot of congestion. Not only the buyers but a large number of window shoppers could also be seen standing near these kiosks to see these items.

Srinagar, July 15
There is a good news for the aspiring journalists of Jammu and Kashmir as the stage is all set for setting up a regional branch of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in Jammu.

“Modalities for setting up the regional branch of the IIMC in Jammu were discussed at a high-level meeting with Chief Secretary Madhav Lal in chair,” said an official spokesperson.

The state government is keen to facilitate establishment of the regional branch, for which five to ten acre land would be made available at a suitable place in Jammu.

The temporary accommodation for faculty and students at the premises would be arranged till the construction of the state-of-the-art and fully-equipped building is completed. The purpose is to ensure that journalism courses are launched next year.

Sunit Tandon, director general, IIMC, said in order to meet the growing demand for quality media education, the IIMC had approved four new regional centres in Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Mizoram and Maharashtra. “The institute presently has a branch at Dhenknal in Orissa,” he said.

He stressed the importance of acquiring a big chunk of land, saying that the IIMC aimed at establishing full-fledged media institute with all journalism courses in the state in tune with the requirements of modern media industry.

The Chief Secretary asked the concerned departments to speed up acquisition of land after identifying it at a convenient place in Jammu district, enabling to take up early execution of the project. He said the journalism courses would start in the upcoming regional branch next year.

“We welcome the opening of a branch of the IIMC in the state of Jammu and Kashmir; this would pave way for more professionalism in journalism. More training professionals would join the noble profession,” said a senior journalist.—TNS

Katra, July 15
ML Manhas, chairman, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kishtwar, recently inaugurated a free legal aid clinic in Nagseni block of Kishtwar district.

The opening of the clinic was part of the legal awareness camp organised in this area, in which people, including a number of women, participated. The purpose of the clinic is to provide free legal assistance to the poor and needy.

Manhas and advocate Sheikh Nasir Hussain threw light on different schemes introduced for the welfare of people in legal matters. The participants were made aware about their legal rights under the DLSA as well as laws covering women and children. 

Srinagar, July 15
After the successful completion of the first placement drive last fortnight, the University of Kashmir is now organising a second sucg drive for Wipro’s Wista programme next week.

Under this programme, selected candidates will get MS degree from VIT, Vellore, and a confirmed job offer, besides monthly stipend during the training period.

Dr Mehraj-ud-din, director, information technology and support systems, Kashmir University, said essential qualifications for candidates was graduation with 50 per cent and above marks in classes 10th and 12th ,with mathematics as one of the subjects in class XII and 60 per cent and above marks in aggregate in graduation.

He said a full-time graduate with BSc, computer science, IT, electronics, physics, mathematics, statistics, BCA, and BCM streams only could apply. Students belonging to the 2010 and 2011 batches only were eligible, he said.

The selected students would pursue the four-year MS degree from BITS Pilani while working at Wipro and they would also receive a monthly scholarship in addition to other benefits.