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Jammu enters traffic danger zone
Farmers advised to take precautions
Play juxtaposes youth
aspirations with family values
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Int’l cricket stadium eludes state
Turtles of Mansar losing the race for survival
841 villages covered in 20 years
Photo exhibition showcases
historical glory of Rajouri
Women society holds painting, debate contests
Gilgit-Baltistan killings: BJP supports agitation
Another Rs 80 lakh for JU multi-purpose hall
Sport climbing meet from April 26
Addiction Club win Roller Hockey League
Aircel XI enter semi-finals
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Jammu enters traffic danger zone
Jammu, April 15 Statistics of the Transport Department said out of the total of 23,700 road mishaps in the state during the past four years, nearly 25 per cent road accidents took place on Jammu roads. “From 2008 to 2011, as many as 4,320 persons were killed in 23,700 road accidents in 22 districts of the state. In Jammu district alone, at least 800 people lost their lives in around 6,100 road mishaps,” the statistics revealed. In 2008, out of the total of 5,317 road mishaps in all the districts, Jammu recorded 1,396 accidents, claiming 205 innocent lives. At least 7,597 persons suffered critical injuries and some were even rendered handicapped permanently. The state witnessed 5,963 accidents (1,535 in Jammu) in 2009, wherein 1,100 road deaths were recorded. Of all, 197 deaths were reported in Jammu district alone. Similarly, the number of road mishaps across the state was above 6,000 for the next two years each, wherein a total of 2,193 (392 in Jammu) people were killed. “Jammu has witnessed nearly 18 per cent increase in the vehicular population since 1982 and that too, without commensurate improvement in road conditions. The density of vehicles has assumed alarming proportions in Jammu and it has entered traffic danger zone. About 3,000 new vehicles are hitting the road in the district every month,” a senior transport official told The Tribune. He said while the authorities had introduced “one-way” system on a number of roads, the traffic scenario continues to be chaotic in the district because of voluminous increase in the vehicular population. “Short-term measures like introduction of one-way system, construction of flyovers and intensification of drive against offenders are not working. Widening of all major roads and improvement in the public transport system are the only options left to improve the chaotic traffic scenario,” the official asserted. SSP (Traffic) Manmohan Singh said only 283 cops were regulating traffic in Jammu district. “We are facing shortage of nearly 50 per cent manpower. At the time of Darbar Move (a practice of bi-annual shifting of Civil Secretariat and other government offices between Jammu and Srinagar) in Jammu, we take the help of 10 to 15 policemen, who are otherwise posted in peripheries, to streamline traffic in the city.” He laid stress on a multi-pronged strategy to decongest roads in the district. |
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Farmers advised to take precautions
Jammu, April 15 MK Khushu of the Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences, Jammu, said, “This is the harvesting stage for the wheat crop and farmers should take precautions as the moisture content in the air is mounting frequently. More moisture can lead to germination of the dry seed, which reduces the quality of the crop”. He said the frequent climatic changes were due to the prolonged effect of the western disturbances. “More showers and storms are expected in the days to come. So we advise farmers to avoid immediate harvesting while moisture content is increasing,” he added. Jitender Sharma, chief agriculture officer, Jammu, said most of the crop was at the mature stage and no loss had been reported. He said, “Crops have reached the harvesting stage and we are expecting the process will be completed soon. As far as any loss or damage due to the sudden climate change is concerned, we have not received any reports from our sub-divisions”. Tejinder Singh, president, Jammu and Kashmir Kisan Council, said no emphasis had been laid on the weather advisory for the farmers. “The authorities concerned need to focus more on counselling and awareness sessions for the farmers. They should be kept updated about the climate changes and the repercussions for the crops. Due to storms and rains, fruit setting is affected,” he said. Another factor that affected the quality of crop this year was the delay in opening of canals for irrigation, he added.
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Play juxtaposes youth
aspirations with family values
Jammu, April 15 The sets and the ambience of the play transported the audience to some remote hilly village where they could feel chilling breeze accompanying a snowfall even on a bright sunny day in Jammu. The play opens in a small home of Chandi, a young girl residing in a remote hilly village. Suddenly, a young man from the city arrives there. He is on adventure trekking and wants to conquer the highest peak. As he is tired, he looks for a place to rest for a while. In his conversation with Chandi, he talks about his plan to reach the highest peak, but she warns him, as there is a belief in the village that no one would be able to scale the high mountain as that would invite the wrath of Lalji Devta and the whole area will then be covered with snow. The young man laughs at it and terms the notion as pure myth. Meanwhile, Bhairo, Chandi’s lover, arrives there and the young man hides. In her conversation with Bhairo, Chandi expresses her desire to go beyond the mountains, see the other side of the world and feel the life of the city. She also asks him to go and search for her father as it’s been long since he left the home. When he goes, the young man tells Chandi that he can take her wherever she wants to go, he will show her everything she wanted to see; he motivates her to go with him. She agrees to it as she senses an opportunity to fulfil her dream. After she leaves, her father and Bhairo come back home only to find that Chandi has taken a leap towards the city. They are afraid she would be cursed by the wrath of the Mountain God, and suddenly, a thunderous storm arrives to lend a mysterious end to the play. Sajra Qadir was successful in putting life into the character of Chandi. Balwinder Singh as the mountaineer was also very impressive. Atin Tikka as Bhairo and Ashwani Bali as the father also supported the play with their balanced acting. Sachin Saini operated the music. Neeraj Kant operated the lights. Sumeet Sharma, who also conducted the presentations, co-ordinated the show.
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Int’l cricket stadium eludes state
Jammu, April 15 The postponement of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the proposed international cricket stadium at Bajalta on March 18 came as a setback for cricketers of Jammu and Kashmir who were waiting for a long time for the construction of the dream project. “Instead of utilising BCCI funds for the promotion of cricket in the state, JKCA officials are spending it on their own personal use,” said one of the cricketers. He alleged that the postponement of the foundation stone-laying ceremony was proof how serious the JKCA was in constructing the stadium. “Ever since we started playing cricket, we were told by JKCA officials that an exclusive cricket stadium of international repute would soon be constructed, but it all these claims fell flat,” said another senior cricketer. “We are now on the verge of taking retirement from the game and even the foundation stone has not been laid till date at the proposed site,” he said. Another cricketer said the HPCA had made rapid strides in a short span of time in international cricket and was promoting its cricketers at higher levels. “Resentment is brewing up among cricketers in the state and the day is not far away when the JKCA will loose our trust. It is betraying us in the name of the construction of an international stadium ever since it came into existence,” said one of the budding cricketers. Mohammad Aslam Goni, chairman, JKCA, while talking to The Tribune, said, “We are aware of all that is happening within the JKCA. The construction of an international stadium at Bajalta will definitely give a boost to cricketers in the state.” |
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Turtles of Mansar losing the race for survival
Jammu, April 15 Prof DN Sahi, Head, Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, says turtles need swampy areas for breeding and laying of eggs. “Damp areas near water bodies accommodate such reptiles. During the rainy season, turtles use the passages around lakes to move for breeding and laying eggs. However, the construction of a pavement, which circumvents the Mansar lake, restricts the movement of turtles, thus hampering breeding or laying of eggs in swampy areas along the shore,” he said. “A decade ago, turtles were forced to lay eggs in the lake itself as there was no passage left for them to cross over to the adjoining fields,” he observed. Two species of soft-shelled turtles - Indian flap-shelled turtle and Ganges soft-shelled turtle - are found in the Mansar lake. “These are endangered species and have been included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Due to the construction of pavement around the lake, turtles find it hard to cross over to reach their nesting sites. If the situation persists, the species may become extinct in the area soon,” he said. He said the drainage of lake water, diversion of water channel, construction around lakes, boating, plantation on the edge of lakes, etc. contributed to the problem. Prof Sahi said it would cause an imbalance in the food chain, as turtles were on the top of the chain. “If the food chain is disturbed, it can result in an ecological imbalance, which is detrimental to the environment,” he said. On possible remedies, he recommended the raising of hatcheries near the lake and encouraging captive breeding. “Local people should be U
Pachnanda, Regional Wildlife Warden, said the issue had been taken up with the authorities concerned. “We cannot undo the damage that has already been done. We have identified two points for the development of outlets to enable the movement of turtles. We have also recommended the construction of two links,” he
added. Mahinder Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Mansar Development Authority, said they had left the space intact as per the instructions of the wildlife department. |
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841 villages covered in 20 years
Jammu, April 15 Sources said that despite its listing as a priority project, slow recruitment process in appointment of field staff is becoming a major impediment in achievement of set targets, with thousands of land dispute cases landing in courts. Figures reveal that in Jammu district, out of 679 identified settlements, the process has been completed in just 381 villages. In Kathua district, of the 279 villages taken up under the project, only 130 villages are through with the process. In Samba district, 383 villages were taken up by the revenue authorities for the settlement, but the process has been completed in just 30 villages. Out of 199 villages identified in Reasi district, only 30 villages have been covered under the plan. Surprisingly, in Poonch district, of the 88 villages identified, no case of land settlement has been completed. In Udhampur, the process has been completed in just 172 villages out of 238 villages identified and marked by the Revenue authorities by the end of January this year. In Ramban district, while 100 villages have been taken up by the department, work in only 82 villages has been completed. Likewise, in Rajouri, 184 villages were identified for the settlement process and only 16 have so far been covered. “The settlement process is very tiresome and the department did not have sufficient modern technical aids like computers and office spaces to process data, despite the fact that a project was initiated about three years back,” said an official source. However, sources further maintained that shortage of staff is not the only problem which the department is facing, but at times, Patwaris engaged in the process have been engaged for other work and there is dual control over the staff, which has caused confusion among people engaged in the work. When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Gulvinder Singh expressed his ignorance about the exact details. “I have joined a few months back and have to go through the records. Let me check them,” Singh said. Asked about the manpower shortage, the ACR said, “At the moment, I cannot comment on it; the recruitment process is on.” |
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Photo exhibition showcases
historical glory of Rajouri
Rajouri, April 15 This was stated by three-time National Award winner photographer Marajkar Singh Ishar of Rajouri during his photo exhibition held at Rane Air Landing Ground in Rajouri yesterday. Lt-Gen AS Nandal, who was the chief guest on the occasion, inaugurated the exhibition and applauded his creative work to showcase the historical glory of Rajouri. Nearly 500 photographs showcasing the rich history, tradition and culture of Rajouri were displayed at the exhibition on the eve of Rajouri Day celebrations. “Photography exhibitions are a means to bring out the latent desires or whims of an individual and it’s my message to the youth to bring out their talent through such medium,” Ishar said. |
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Women society holds painting, debate contests
Jammu, April 15 AK Arora, Chairman of the school, was the chief guest on the occasion. The event was presided over by Nirmal Padha, president of JKWS. As many as 15 students of the school participated in the competition. A rally was also organised in Narwal in which 200 students from Renu Public High School and New Model Public School, Narwal, and a number of locals took part. Padha, in her welcome address, said there was a need to save and preserve the forests. She said use of renewable source of energy was the only way to deal with the rising pollution in the world. |
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Gilgit-Baltistan killings: BJP supports agitation
Jammu, April 15 He said the party had been closely watching the developments in the Gilgit Baltistan and appealed the union and state governments to intervene. He said, on the one hand, NC-Congress coalition was talking of rehabilitation of youth returning from PoK, on the other hand, it had shown no concern for the daily massacre of the youth in the northern areas of Gilgit Baltistan, which was also a part of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the party would start a country-wide campaign to make people aware of the state government and the UPA government's apathetic attitude towards the people of Gilgit Baltistan. Manhas said the party had decided to appoint Ladakh Satish Sharma, state general secretary and incharge, to establish contact with the local leadership in Kargil and had also deviced a plan to extend every possible co-operation to end the sufferings of the people.
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Another Rs 80 lakh for JU multi-purpose hall
Jammu, April 15 The construction work on the hall had begun a few days back on the university campus, the foundation stone of which was laid by Governor NN Vohra on March 1. The multi-purpose hall, once completed, will cater to the disciplines of wrestling, boxing, table tennis, judo, wushu and taekwondo. Three classrooms, one faculty room, one store and a dormitory for sportspersons will also be constructed inside the multi-purpose hall. Prof Dhian S Bhau, Director, Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, University of Jammu, while talking to The Tribune, confirmed that an additional Rs 80 lakh had been sanctioned by the state government. “The state government is very keen to provide a major fillip to sports activities in the University of Jammu and sanctioning of additional amount is ample proof of that,” said Prof Bhau. “We are in the process of preparing proposals both for the state government and University Grants Commission (UGC) relating to the project,” he added. Further, the UGC has earmarked Rs 50 lakh for adventure courses and upgradation of sports infrastructure in the varsity. Out of Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh will be spent by the department on imparting of training to the students in skiing, kayaking and rafting while the remaining amount will be spent on infrastructure development. Meanwhile, the University Central Council (UCC) has already submitted a proposal to joint committee regarding creation of post of Deputy Director, two posts of Assistant Director, six posts of coaches and two posts for Physical Training Instructors. The joint committee has further referred the case to the state government for creation of these posts.
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Sport climbing meet from April 26
Jammu, April 15 The competition, which is open to climbers belonging to Jammu district only, will be held in 6 categories. It includes men, women, boys, girls, sub-junior boys and sub-junior girls in lead as well as in speed climbing. About 200 boys and girls from the district are likely to compete in the sporting event. The competitions will be held on the newly fabricated 40-ft high and 12-ft wide fibre glass wall as per IFSC rules. However, qualification rounds in all the categories will be held on top rope. Mitra Ghosh from Delhi, a national judge in sport climbing will be the president of jury during the competition, while Bhawna Sharma, a qualified route setter of J&K will be the chief route setter. — TNS
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Addiction Club win Roller Hockey League
Jammu, April 15 Jugraaj Singh (Charlie) was the top scorer with 4 goals, while Jatin Sabrwal chipped in with 1 goal. Roller Hockey Club and Shiva Roller Skating Institute received silver and bronze medals, respectively. In Inline Hockey, Indiana Roller Club clinched gold medal, whereas Kings Club got a silver medal. In junior category, Charanjyot Singh Madaan of Army School, Kaluchack, representing Indiana Club bagged gold medal, while Shiva Roller Skating Institute players fetched silver medal. In sub-junior girls’ category, Jodhamal Public School, secured 1st position and clinched gold by defeating Presentation Convent with 3-0 margin. In sub-junior boys’ category, MAM Club won gold followed by Jodhamal Public School and Heritage School, who had to settle for silver and bronze medals, respectively. The matches were officiated by Roshan Gupta, Sourav Bakshi, PP Singh, Jatinder Sharma and Jasmeet Singh DSP (city), Kulbir Handa was the chief guest who, along with Bharat Sharma, SHO, Pacca Danga Police Station, distributed prizes among the winners.
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Aircel XI enter semi-finals
Jammu, April 15 For Advocates XI, Gurupartap and AP Singh took a wicket each. Chasing a target to win, Advocates XI started decently but lost wickets easily. Gurupartap and AP Singh made 43 and 34 runs, respectively. Advocates XI could manage 160/9 in their allotted quota of overs. For Aircel XI, Rakesh was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets, while Nikhil, Anand and Anmol scalped two wickets each. Earlier, in another match, Aircel XI dispatched Bharti Infratel XI by 65 runs in a one-sided contest. Batting first, Aircel XI accumulated 135 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Anand played a power-packed innings of 62 runs off just 29 balls, including 10 boundaries. Sumit and Sunil made useful contributions of 17 and 14 runs, respectively. For Infratel XI, Shakeel grabbed 2 wickets, while Sourav, Gourav, Sunny and Unique shared 1 wicket apiece. In reply, Bharti Infratel XI made 70 runs in 12.5 overs. Sourav was the only batsman to cross double-figure mark with 21-run knock.
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With Jammu’s vehicular population touching the staggering five-lakh mark which is nearly 52 per cent of the total vehicles in the state, the district has entered “traffic danger zone”, claiming 800 lives in over 6,000 road accidents during the past four years.
Even the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) is struggling to wriggle out of the recent
multi-crore scam that has left the entire cricketing fraternity in the state shocked, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association
(HPCA) stadium, after successfully hosting IPL matches, is now all set to host its first one-day international match during Team India’s home series against England.
Rajouri, April 15
Addiction Roller Hockey Club defeated Roller Athlete Skating Club by 5-3 and won the 2nd Roller Hockey League
(RHL) organised by Addiction Roller Hockey under the aegis of the Jammu Roller Skating Association at Shiva Roller Skating Institute,
Peerkhoo, here today.
