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Ponds dying slow death
Watermelon sales soar with mercury
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Five of gang running bogus telecom unit arrested
2-yr-old drowns in water tank
Footpaths cleared of encroachments
Sculptor Tiku’s creations on display
Students protest teacher’s ‘misbehaviour’ in Kathua
Jammu Premier League concludes
Gupta joins as Divisional Commissioner
Educational tour flagged off
JU dept working on gene mapping
Mir for boosting basmati export
Educative programme on asthma held
NGO for quality education to needy children
Hike in relief for Pandits sought
Workshop held to celebrate World Earth Day
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Ponds dying slow death
Jammu, April 27 While most have been turned into garbage dumps, others have been encroached upon by people right under the nose of the administration. Till a few decades ago, ponds and ditches were visible all around the city and formed an important water buffer, particularly during the summer. However, people seldom use these now due to their poor condition. “Around 20 years ago, people used water drawn from ponds for their day-to-day activities. But the pond in our locality has now turned filthy, as people dump garbage in it,” says Rajesh Sharma, a resident of Bantalab. “The importance of this water body can be gauged from the fact that our area gets its name from it,” he says. Most people in Jammu attribute the deteriorating condition of these ponds to influx of people from other regions of the state who have constructed houses by setting up new localities. “In the Jammu region, these water bodies are associated with village deities. But once new localities come into being, their inhabitants have little emotional attachment to these water bodies and use them as garbage dumps,” says Indu Paul from Raipur village. At many places, greed for land has also contributed to the demise of ponds. “The pond in our area was filled with earth to reclaim land and was subsequently put up for sale. We approached the municipal corporation and the Jammu Development Authority but to no avail,” said Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Paloura. A year ago, the municipal corporation announced a major project to save and beautify the traditional water bodies falling under its jurisdiction. However, its results are nowhere to be seen, given the conditions of ponds in the city. MC Commissioner KL Khajuria was not available for comments. Death knell
Poor management of water bodies, increasing population and growing demand for human settlements have resulted in the premature death of these precious natural resourcesn Shoddy effort
A year ago, the municipal corporation announced a major project to save and beautify the traditional water bodies falling under its jurisdiction. However, its results are nowhere to be seen.
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Watermelon sales soar with mercury
Jammu, April 27 Furkan Ali, a fruit seller, says: “The season has started and we are getting the daily supply from Rajasthan. The next two months are crucial for our business. We are prepared to meet the demand of the local people.” “We sell around one quintal watermelons every day. You may not find many customers during the noontime, as not many buyers approach us during that period, but we sell most of our fruit in the evening,” he says. “This is a seasonal business and we we switch to selling other goods during the rest of the year. I belong to Muzaffarabad and most of the other sellers are also from outside the state. We are hoping for a good business this year,” he adds. Arushi Mehta, a homemaker, says watermelon suits their summer needs as it serves several purposes. “It’s not only a good fruit to eat but it also meets the requirement of water in the body. I add this fruit to the daily food chart of my children, as they lose a lot of water and salts while playing or indulging in outdoor activities during summer,” she says. Nidhi Kotwal, Assistant Professor, Foods and Nutrition, Government College for Women, Parade, says: “Watermelon is cool and refreshing and is packed with nutrients. It is sweet and flavorful, yet low on calories and contains pectin, a type of soluble fibre that helps keep blood cholesterol levels under control.” Highlighting additional benefits of the fruit, she says: “It is a good source of vitamin C and potassium, which can help control blood pressure, regulate heartbeat and possibly prevent stroke.” The fruit is a valuable source of lycopene, an antioxidant. “Research indicates that lycopene helps reduce the risk of prostate, breast and endometrial cancers, besides lung and colon cancer,” she added.
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Five of gang running bogus telecom unit arrested
Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested five persons - Pardeep Singh, Lakhveer Singh, Balvinder Singh, Surinder Singh and Gurubaksh Singh of Ludhiana. They have been running a Guru Kripa Communication Company (GKCC) in Rajouri for the past few days. They have cheated several people of Rajouri by convincing them to install GKCC towers by depositing Rs 15,700. The police recovered Rs 45,000 cash, visiting cards and letterheads from them during the raid. The Station House Officer of Rajouri said a case has been registered. |
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Stage set for JCCI elections
Jammu, April 27 The two candidates, who had been campaigning hard to woo the voters during the past few days, had a field day today. “Since the JCCI is the oldest organisation of traders and industrialists, we expect the new team to highlight our issues at the right quarters,” Yashpal Gupta, president of the Associated Chamber of Traders’ Federation told The Tribune. “We want the JCCI to act as a bridge between traders and the government,” said Gupta. “It is hard to say who is better between the two, but expectations of the traders are high during each election,” he added. Annil Suri, president, Bari Brahmana Industries’ Association, and chairman, Federation of Industries, Jammu, said the JCCI had over 200 industrialists as its members. “People from the JCCI do come to us seeking our support but if someone from industries gets elected, it will be a win-win situation for us,” he said. An industrialist, Rahul Mahajan, is in the fray for the post of secretary. “Trade and industry are interdependent on each other and the JCCI has been raising the issues of industrialists from time to time. The voters should elect candidates who know the pulse of the traders and industrialists alike,” he added. The elected candidates should be well-versed in the affairs of trade and industry, having an in-depth knowledge of issues concerning the businessmen and industrialists in the state, he added. Suri, however, felt that the JCCI should set aside two posts of secretary and senior vice-president exclusively for the industrialists, as the JCCI had not been highlighting the real issues of industries, he added. A prominent trader felt that the present body of the JCCI had bleak chances of retaining the office. “At the most one or two office-bearers of the incumbent body may get elected tomorrow, but I feel there will be new faces in the next team,” he said. Without naming anyone, he said the present office-bearers had failed to fight for the cause of traders in the past two and half years of their tenure. “New taxes had been slapped on the traders and industrialists, incentives had been stopped, the Industries Department had no land for prospective industrialists and the setting up of a unit under green category had remained cumbersome. In such a scenario, it is difficult to see the present body get elected again,” he said. “The system at Lakhanpur should be streamlined, the process of setting up of units under green category be simplified and more industrial estates be set up for the prospective industrialists. The present team has failed to live up to our expectations,” he said. Another trader said the present six-member team headed by YV Sharma had bridged the gap between industrialists, traders and the state government. |
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2-yr-old drowns in water tank
Jammu, April 27 The deceased has been identified as Sonali, daughter of Chander Yadav, presently residing at Malik Market. The family said the girl was playing at her house when she went missing all of a sudden. “After looking for her everywhere, we found her body inside the water tank,” they added. |
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Footpaths cleared of encroachments
Jammu, April 27 During the drive, the teams seized goods like water coolers, juice machines, wipers, buckets, chairs, brooms, utensils, crates, stands and flower pots displayed by shopkeepers. The team also removed hoardings and banners put up by various business establishments without permission. A police team from Trikuta Nagar and Channi Himmat police stations, besides District Police Lines, assisted the MC officials during the drive.
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Sculptor Tiku’s creations on display
Jammu, April 27 Usha Vohra, First Lady, was also present. The dignitaries went round the exhibition and evinced keen interest in the artistic creations. Appreciating the quality of work exhibited, the Governor said he had suggested Tiku to exhibit his works in Jammu so that budding artists could draw inspiration and learn techniques from the sculptor. Besides, local residents would get an opportunity to see his creations, he added. He hoped that Tiku would organise a similar exhibition in Srinagar as well. He wished Tiku success in his pursuits in the coming years. Tiku gave details about the ideas behind his latest works and thanked the Governor for inaugurating the exhibition. In all, 20 art creations in bronze and wood, besides some paintings on varied themes, are on display at the exhibition, which will remain open for public viewing from 11 am to 6 pm till 28 April. Senior officers, a large number of art lovers and prominent citizens were also present.
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Students protest teacher’s ‘misbehaviour’ in Kathua
Jammu, April 27 Zahida Perveen Khan, DDC, Kathua, took serious note of the allegations and directed the chief education officer (CEO), Kathua, to initiate an inquiry against the teacher and attach him till the pending inquiry. Sources said students of Government Primary School, Chack Chabba, which has recently been upgraded to middle school, along with their parents and the local villagers, reached the DDC office and raised slogans against the teacher. The students alleged that their teacher, Bishan Dass, misbehaved and verbally abused them in the classroom. The protesters alleged that the teacher used “unparliamentary language” and abused girl students in the classroom. “The girl students narrated the incident to their parents, who along with village sarpanch Tarseem Lal, decided to take up the matter with the Kathua DDC,” the sources said. An official spokesperson said the protesters also met the CEO, Kathua, and told him about the entire episode. Acting on the complaint, the CEO constituted a committee to conduct an inquiry and attached the teacher in his office with immediate effect. The members of the committee are Narayan Shanker, principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Sallan, and SS Rathore, principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Marheen. They would submit their report to the CEO within two days. |
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Jammu Premier League concludes
Jammu, April 27 The first phase of the tournament was conducted in February and March with 138 teams across the Jammu region taking part in the intra-district matches. The 10 districts of Jammu, Doda, Kishtwar, Akhnoor, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Reasi, Samba and Kathua fielded their teams. The best 16 district teams were then selected for the next phase. The second phase of the tournament started as the largest sporting event in the Jammu Division at General Zorawar Singh Sports Stadium, Reasi, on April 17 with Governor NN Vohra being the chief guest. The tournament, which was divided into four pools and 31 league matches, was held at Doda, Reasi, Akhnoor, Poonch and Jammu. The four teams which made it to the semifinals were Jammu Jaanbaaz, Poonch Thunderbolts, Kathua Knights and Jammu Riders. Finally, Jammu Riders lifted the Tawi Cup, while Jammu Jaanbaaz was the runner-up. The minister gave away the prizes to the winning team, Jammu Riders, runner-up to Jammu Jaanbaaz, man of the match to Sameer Khajuria of Jammu Riders and man of the tournament to Munish Dogra of Jammu Jaanbaaz. The winning team bagged a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh were given to the runner-up. The best three players of the tournament would be recommended for training in renowned cricket academies of the country.
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Gupta joins as Divisional Commissioner
Jammu, April 27 Dr Kotwal apprised Gupta about the functioning of the Divisional Commissioner’s office. After taking the charge, Gupta convened a meeting with department officials and asked them to provide quality service to the masses and solve their problems in a timely manner. He urged the officials to bring transparency and accountability in their functioning. Gupta has worked in various capacities in the administration, including Deputy Commissioner, Kathua; Director, Industries; Director Rural Development Department; Excise Commissioner and as Commissioner-Secretary, CAPD and Transport. |
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Educational tour flagged off
Katra, April 27 A ten-day inter-state tour has been organised by the Education Department for the teachers of Rajouri district under RMSA. The Chief Education Officer, Reasi, KK Gupta gave best wishes to the group members for a fruitful journey and fulfillment of their objectives. Gupta said all the members of the group would make recommendations for enhancing the quality of education in the government institutions. He said such tours played a vital role in personality development and improving the standard of education. He added that the teachers would visit various prestigious institutions in Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra. |
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JU dept working on gene mapping
Jammu, April 27 The department has so far been able to map seven different kinds of genes from the state. The department has a DNA bank with around 1,000 samples belonging to people of different religions, castes and regions. It has provided service to more than 5,000 people since 2003. The major area of study here is the perceptibility of some ethnic groups to acquire a certain disease than others. The study on diabetes and cervical cancer has been a major success along with detecting mental retardation among newborns. Research scholars at the department say there is a variation in genetic structure along ethnic lines and that is the reason why some ethnic groups remain agile and fit all their life while others are prone to weight gain and suffer from diabetes. Another concern for emerging research is detecting the cause and symptoms of cervical cancer. The number of women suffering from cervical cancer, which so far has no cure, has been on a rise and has been a cause of concern among both women and doctors. Women, who have had any history of cervical cancer in their family, are more prone to cervical cancer. In such cases, researchers can conduct a mapping test to trace the evidence of past diseases and alert the patient of its probability. Research scholars and scientists are now trying to aware women from all walks of life about cervical cancer. “In Jammu and Kashmir most women are unaware of this problem and tend to ignore the symptoms. Since the disease is not curable, we are trying to genetically detect it in women so that we can come up with a cure in the future,” a research scholar at the department said. Talking about the importance of matching the genetic horoscope before marriage, Dr SC Gupta, Head of Department, Genetics Department, University of Jammu, said marriage between close relations was discouraged by doctors because “it tends to bring out bad genes in the child later. If both husband and wife have a family history of a certain genetic disease then it gets expressed in the child.” “Our motive is to free society from various diseases and our research will help detect genetic disorders and help in their prevention later,” said Dr Gupta. Mapping effort
The department has so far mapped seven different kinds of genes from the state. The department has a DNA bank with around 1,000 samples belonging to people of different religions, castes and regions. It has provided service to more than 5,000 people since 2003
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Mir for boosting basmati export
Jammu, April 27 Mir made this statement, while inaugurating a workshop on refinement, production and export orientation of traditional basmati rice of Jammu organised at Jammu Club by the Directorate of Agriculture, Jammu, in collaboration with the Basmati Export Development Council, New Delhi. The workshop was attended by more than 200 basmati growers of Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts, besides experts and scientists and officers of the Agriculture Department. Mir said there was a growing awareness and demand for basmati in the national and international markets. He said the government was making all efforts to increase its profitability as a cash crop by facilitating its exports. He added that there was a need to promote the cultivation of traditional basmati rice as it was highly aromatic and had great export potential. Earlier, Ajay Khajuria, Director Agriculture, Jammu, stressed the need for coordinated efforts for refinement, production and export orientation of basmati in production and marketing with local farmers, experts and scientists from different national level agencies to identify and resolve the bottle-necks for providing deeper insight into the prospects of basmati rice promotion in the state.
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Educative programme on asthma held
Jammu, April 27 Dr Rajive Sharma, ENT specialist, Government Hospital Sarwal gave a power point presentation on the topic. Dr Maqbool A Zargar, A-grade ENT specialist, gave his expert comments during the programme and interacted with the doctors and interns. Dr Arun Sharma, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, along with other senior specialists and doctors, was also present. The hospital staff was given complete knowledge about the problem of asthma and the ways to control it. There are almost 300 million people in the world and about 30 million in India who suffer from asthma. A website Breathefree.com is also created to help the asthmatics lead a fulfilling life by giving them necessary knowledge to manage this chronic disease. At the website, people can get information related to the symptoms of asthma i.e. chest blockage, breathlessness, coughing, wheezing etc. — TNS
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NGO for quality education to needy children
Jammu, April 27 With 17 million Indian children working as labour in the unorganised sector, the government must initiate steps to ensure that they get good education and healthy environment. The organisation has also sought long-term commitment towards securing the future of these children apart from financial help. |
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Hike in relief for Pandits sought
Jammu, April 27 Ravi Zutshi was elected as its president for three months during the general body meeting of the organisation. Zutshi said the callous attitude of the government was unacceptable and the government was bound to provide basic amenities needed for living. “We will not allow our brethren to live like second class citizens. It is high time that the cash assistance and other facilities being given to the Kashmir Pandits are enhanced,” Zutshi said. He said the organisation was working towards improving the living conditions of migrant camps. He said in spite of the protests and representations submitted before the department concerned for the enhancement of cash assistance and other demands, nothing concrete had been done so far.
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Workshop held to celebrate World Earth Day
Jammu, April 27 The workshop was organised on the Bhadarwah campus affiliated to Jammu University. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Neeraj Sharma, assistant professor of the Life Science Department. He highlighted the objectives of the institute. The speakers at the venue spoke on issues of sustainable development, cause and effect of global warming, harmful side effects of aerosols on the atmospheric ozone layer. Papers were also presented on the negative effects of deteriorating public health due to the environmental degradation. Taking a cue from the recent destruction of apple harvest in Himachal, courtesy heavy rainfall and hailstorm in the region, Inderjeet Singh, organiser of the workshop, laid emphasis on the loss of agricultural produce due to unpredictable weather conditions, which kept on fluctuating due to the effect of global warming. “These cases are not new in a country where weather conditions and rainfall quantity are highly unpredictable,” he said. Prof VS Manhas, Head of the Geography Department, was the chief guest on the occasion.
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Once an important part of the rural life in the Jammu region, traditional “talabs” (ponds) have slowly given in to rapid urbanisation, particularly in the Kandi area.
The sale of watermelons from Rajasthan has started to pick up with the rise the mercury in the city.
Furkan Ali, a fruit seller, says: “The season has started and we are getting the daily supply from Rajasthan. The next two months are crucial for our business. We are prepared to meet the demand of the local people.”
The Human Genetics and Counselling Department at the University of Jammu is conducting research on gene mapping and detecting genetic diseases like diabetes, cervical cancer, mental retardation in children and rising cases of thalassaemia patients belonging to Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajouri, April 27
While incumbent president YV Sharma is seeking a third term in office, his lone opponent Rakesh Gupta is trying his luck for the second time. Gupta had lost the 2009 elections with a margin of just 79 votes.