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Powerless, Sleepless in the city
A woman uses a hand-held fan during a power cut at the Warehouse market in Jammu on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet singh
Sleep deprivation badly impacting general health
We can’t observe fast rituals: Residents
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Heat takes toll on pedigree breeds
People vent their anger via social networking sites
Power Reforms Programme: Phase-II to be outsourced for better accountability
Govt apathy mars Jhajjar tourist spot
Training workshop for teachers begins
CM accused of being unfair
Rajinder Jamwal of People’s Revolutionary Movement during a press conference in Jammu on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
Working of GMCH, associate hospitals reviewed
More wait for coaches seeking permanent job
Al-Hilal Club win football tourney
Anantnag clinch title for under-16 boys’ cricket
Cricket tourney commences
Pugilist selected as constable
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Powerless, Sleepless in the city
Jammu, July 24 Frequent power cuts for hours in night are disturbing the body clock of people. Traders have also been suffering losses due to high fluctuation in electricity. “Things have gone from to worse in the past two weeks. The power cuts amid hot and humid conditions have virtually made the life of city residents a living hell,” said Satya Devi, 50, a housewife from Pacci Dhaki area. Devi said they were unable to sleep because the power goes off after every alternate hour at night. “The power cuts start from 10 pm to 5 am causing serious health problems among children and old folk. I have never seen such situation in my lifetime as far as power curtailments are concerned,” she said. Residents blamed the Power Development Department (PDD) for turning insensitive towards their problems. Sneh Lata, a private school teacher and a resident of Greater Kailash area, said, “Women are the most affected as they are unable to take proper sleep in the night. We wake up early in the morning to get our children ready for school and also do other household chores. Repeated power failure is badly affecting our sleeping habit.” Another resident accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who also holds the power department portfolio, for the whole mess for adopting different yardsticks towards people’s grievances. “Early this year, the Chief Minister had ordered to disconnect power supply to his residence and other VIP areas from the essential service feeder and directed the PDD not to make any preference in supplying electricity to VIP areas when the power supply to entire Kashmir valley was disrupted as a result of snowfall. His approach has remained discriminatory towards Jammu despite the fact the people are suffering,” the resident quipped. Vinod Kumar, who owns a grocery shop at Canal road, said, “My daughter was struggling to sleep the whole night and there was no point sending her to school if she feel drowsy during day.” |
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Sleep deprivation badly impacting general health
Jammu, July 24 Vishal Sharma (21), who works as an office boy in a local company, has been complaining of headaches, lack of appetite and poor stamina through the day, as he has been unable to get enough sleep over the past couple of months, courtesy frequent power cuts. This behaviour is recurrent in almost every household affected by power cuts at night. Dr Manu Arora, consultant psychiatrist, Government Medical College and Hospital, says sleep is directly related to a healthy lifestyle. Lack of sleep causes various kinds of mood alteration in people like irritability, lack of concentration and mood fluctuation, amongst other symptoms. In cases of chronic sleep deprivation, people prone to clinical depression can suffer from severe mood alteration. “Schoolchildren and pregnant women are the worst hit. Mothers are mostly worried about lack of appetite, concentration and frequent emotional outbursts of their children,” said Manisha Sharma, a resident of Shastri Nagar, whose 12-year-old daughter has been acting cranky for the past few weeks. These symptoms are more aggravated in case of pregnant women, who are going through hormonal changes during the period. Dr Arora said: “In cases of pregnancy, women succumb to aggravated mood swings and this can affect their general health. Since pregnancy is a sensitive time for a woman, it is even more important for her to take care of her sleep. But due to the uncomfortable weather conditions and unscheduled power cuts, sleep deprivation is fast catching up with every one.” |
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We can’t observe fast rituals: Residents
Jammu, July 24 The localities have been facing the worst ever power crisis for the past couple of weeks. Residents say the frequent power cuts have made it difficult to observe Sehri (pre-dawn meal before the fast begins) and ‘Iftaar’ (the ritual of breaking the fast in the evening). Haji Mohammad Hussain, president, Jamia Masjid Talab Khatikan, regretted the PDD had miserably failed in coming up to the expectations of people. “The entire community is miffed over the power cuts during Sehri and Iftaar. We don’t mind scheduled power cuts in the day but the administration should ensure uninterrupted power supply so that the people perform religious rituals in better way,” he said. Hussain said that women folk were the worst sufferers as they could not move out like men do if the power went off in their localities. “It is the duty of the electricity department to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the holy month of Ramdan. The people had been subjected to great hardships for no fault of their,” Hussain said. Prof Zahoor-ud-Din, a senior Urdu scholar, said the government had made mockery of the entire system. “We face many difficulties in offering special prayers which are held in the month of holy Ramdan. Despite several assurances, the government failed to fulfil even a single promise,” he said. “The department is enacting drama in the name of corrective measures to hide its failure,” he said. He informed that some parts of the city were experiencing power cuts lasting 12 to 18 hours a day. Rafiq Malik, a resident of Gujjar Nagar, said the entire government machinery has collapsed and the community had been facing many hardships due to power curtailments. He accused the PDD of hurting religious sentiments of people. A couple of days back, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had announced that there would no load shedding during Sehri and Iftaar in the month of Ramdan. Hard to keep faith *
Residents say the frequent power cuts have made it difficult to observe Sehri (pre-dawn meal before the fast begins) and ‘Iftaar’ (the ritual of breaking the fast in the evening) *
Some parts of the city are experiencing power cuts lasting 12 to 18 hours a day *The entire community is miffed over the power cuts during Sehri and Iftaar. We don’t mind scheduled power cuts in the day but the administration should ensure uninterrupted power supply so that the people perform religious rituals in better way
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Heat takes toll on pedigree breeds
Jammu, July 24 Vivek Talwar, owner of the 10-month-old male Saint Bernard, says, “This is his first summer in India; he has lost appetite due to the extreme climatic condition. Since the power cuts are long, we cannot keep him in an air conditioned environment for long as prescribed by the veterinarian. These conditions have in turn led to his weight loss and restlessness.” People with pedigree breeds such as Saint Bernard, German Shepard, Bull Mastiff, pugs and other thick coat breeds are complaining that their pets are suffering from loss of appetite, skin infections, and excess salivation. In some cases, respiratory (asthmatic) or cardiac arrests were also observed as they were originally from the Scandinavian countries where temperature is low. Dr Bhanu Khajuria says, “Pedigree breeds should be given cold water, cold meat or chicken along with regular baths to keep off any skin infections. The owners should also keep a check on excess panting or salivation as these could be the signs of an impending respiratory attack.” “Majority of the pets lose appetite during this season, especially those who have a thick coat. Since they are not meant for tropical heat, they tend to pant excessively in order to cool off their body temperatures. We have witnessed healthy dogs succumbing to sudden asthmatic attacks. In a recent case, a pug died of sudden respiratory attack because they have small respiratory systems causing persistent panting. In such breeds the capacity to keep their body temperature regulated through panting is rather limited. Since the temperature is on rise and power cuts are unrelenting, these delicate breeds are finding it difficult to survive,” Dr Khajuria said. Tajindar Singh, owner of a one and half-year-old bull mastiff known for their heavy built said, “Instead of acclimatising my dog to air conditioning, I adapted it to heat. I give him a cold water bath daily and cold water to drink. This helps in keeping its body temperature regulated. It sleeps on marble floor and is mostly kept out of the air-conditioned rooms so that he can adapt to the heat better.” |
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People vent their anger via social networking sites
Jammu, July 24 The state has been facing an acute shortage of electricity besides humid weather conditions. On his Facebook profile, Pawan Sharma, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, wrote: “The areas of Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Digiana, Satwari, Nai Basti, Talab Tillo and others part of the city are facing a huge electricity crisis, whereas areas where politicians live are enjoying uninterrupted power supply. It’s high time that the Jammu leaders get up and fight for the rights of the people.” In another update, he wrote, “The Chief Minister should check the revenue collection of Jammu colonies. People paying Rs 400 to Rs 500 per month are using 3 to 4 air-conditioners, while those who are paying genuine electricity bills are suffering the most.” The number of updates increases during the late evening hours when people have to deal with the sultry weather without electricity. Most residents post their updates through their mobile phones, as it is the only means to express their anger. Ram Anand, who deals in mutual funds, wrote: “The PDD Department tries to cover up the issue by giving flimsy technical details, which a common man can’t understand.”
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Power Reforms Programme: Phase-II to be outsourced for better accountability
Jammu, July 24 The second phase will target Jammu, Srinagar and other major towns of the state where a large chunk of population lives. A senior officer said: “The private agency will be accountable for the implementation of the programme. This was the main point raised by the Planning Commission of India for the completion of pending projects in urban centres of the state.” The project, started in 2009, is divided into two phases. The first phase of the project has already been outsourced to a leading IT and business transformation services provider, Wipro. The second phase is now set to be outsourced. The ever-increasing T&D losses and aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses have been a major worry for the state government. Minister of State for Power Shabir Khan said: “There is nothing new in outsourcing the works, but it is part of the plan. They will act as a supporting agent to the PDD.” “The state is not being able to strictly implement the reforms and has made only cosmetic measures to deal with the problem. Even the e-metering project, started over seven years ago, has been left midway,” said Jammu East MLA Ashok Khajuria. R-APDRP phases * First phase involves setting up of a data centre, a disaster (data) recovery centre, a centralised customer care call centre and GIS based customer indexing * Second phase focuses on revamping and modernisation of entire electricity distribution system to reduce AT&C losses, 100 per cent metering of domestic consumers, HT metering of commercial and industrial consumers and whole range of initiatives to modernise the infrastructure in the sector for reforms Under the APDRP scheme, the Union Government had already given Rs 3,900 crore to the state government from 2002 onwards for carrying out reforms in the power sector but most of it was utilised for the purchase of power to meet the growing demands of electricity in the state, leaving little for carrying out reforms
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Novel way to Fight foeticide
Jammu, July 24 The decision was taken during a meeting of the committee constituted by the Legislative Assembly, after the Census of 2011 showed the alarming decline in girl child ratio in the state. The committee met recently to discuss the rules which were operational under the pre-conception and pre-natal Sex determination (probation and regulation) Act, 2012 and Jammu Kashmir Nursing Council Act, 2012. “Committee stressed on taking concrete steps for the protection of girl child and rules should be formulated to curbed the mence at all levels,”said a source. In the past, various measures have been taken by the government to stop the illegally run ultrasound clinics. In this regard, a Divisional Advisory Committee on Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) Act was also constituted. The committee keeps a close watch on the functioning of clinics and takes effective measures under the law against all the people indulging in sex determination and foeticide. It was also decided that no ultra sound clinic would be allowed to operate without proper registration under the
PNDT Act and the registration would be valid for 3 years only. |
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Govt apathy mars Jhajjar tourist spot
Jammu, July 24 It has been observed that people clean their vehicles inside the rivulet bed, mining and lifting of gravels and stones also go simultaneously. Astha, a student, said, “We come here on school picnics. We enjoy the outing here but certain things are shocking . The same water in which we play is also being used by some taxi and truck drivers to clean their vehicles. Such practices should be banned”. Mridul Kumar, a pilgrim from Bangalore said, “We came here to pay obeisance to Mata Vaishno Devi. Our taxi driver told us about this spot. This is an amazing place and could be a nice and refreshing retreat for Vaishno Devi pilgrims. I think the authorities’ concerned need to focus more on the development of the spot as the place has got the potential.”
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Training workshop for teachers begins
Katra, July 24
District Development Commissioner Nirmal Sharma was the chief guest. The DDC said such workshops and training programmes played a vital role in improving the teaching skills of the teachers and also sensitised all stake-holders in dealing with the educational system. She urged all trainees, professionals and other participants to further improve the standard of education in their respective schools. Shakuntla Rani Lachotra, field adviser, SIE, Jammu, and convener of the workshop, said: “The purpose of the training programme is to update the knowledge of the teaching community dealing in secondary-level education in Reasi so that students of the area can face the modern challenges with confidence.” Among others, course coordinator Narinder Singh, Government Higher Secondary School, Reasi, Principal MM Khajuria, Reasi Chief Education Officer KK Gupta and other officers of the department concerned attended the training workshop.
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CM accused of being unfair
Jammu, July 24 The organisation alleged that corruption was rampant in the state. Virtually no government department, especially those falling under Omar PRM leader Rajinder Jamwal accused Omar Abdullah of being partisan. He said recently selected teachers of Ganderbal district were allowed to join work, whereas those in other districts of the state were running from pillar to post to join work even after their selection over a year ago. “The Omar Abdullah government has proved that he believes in compounding rather than redressing the grievances and problems of the people, as is evident from the unrest among employees, daily wagers, traders and people from all walks of life,” said Jamwal. Jamwal said the neglect of the qualified class could spell disaster for the state government.
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Working of GMCH, associate hospitals reviewed
Jammu, July 23 The meeting was attended by the GMCH Principal Aniece Choudhary; administrators of associate hospitals; personal officers of associate hospitals; medical superintendents of SMGS and CD Hospital and other senior officers. Discussions were held on the measures to improve the functioning of the GMCH and other associate hospitals. The secretary directed the medical superintendent to take up the issue of strengthening and upgrade of the neonatal intensive care unit at the SMGS on a priority basis and asked him to ensure that all vital equipment were made functional. He instructed the immediate opening of the 200-bedded new paediatric block. Stressing the need for adopting a receptive and service-centric approach by healthcare providers, Dwivedi said: “Better coordination at all levels is vital to streamlining the functioning of the premier institution.” He asked the departments concerned to ensure that the healthcare facilities were not affected due to operational or maintenance reasons. He said manpower, machinery and maintenance should be in place to ensure better facilities to patients on the commissioning of the super-speciality hospital and paediatric block. Dwivedi directed the Principal to ensure that the vacancies of para-medical and support staff were filled immediately and all logistical and technical arrangements made well in time. He said steps would be taken to make the hospital functional by providing infrastructural and diagnostic facilities. He also directed the officers concerned to ensure better sanitation and security at the hospital by providing additional workforce so that patients did not face any problem.
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More wait for coaches seeking permanent job
Jammu, July 24 Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS
Chib, while convening the Standing Committee meeting recently, had announced the constitution of sports councils at district level. But the coaches on contract have expressed disappointment over the alleged inordinate delay by the authorities in completing the process. “This is nothing new. The Standing Committee had convened a similar meeting some months ago,” said one of the coaches. “During the meeting, the decision to engage us on a permanent basis was taken by the minister and we were hopeful that this meeting would finalise the process but that did not happen,” he said. Sources said when the decision to engage the coaches on a permanent basis was taken during the Standing Committee meeting, the minister had ordered that the file should be moved to the Finance Department for its necessary approval. But the alleged inordinate delay had infuriated the coaches, who were now questioning the efforts of the authorities in resolving the issue. Eleven persons, including nine coaches and two instructors, were engaged on contract by the Sports Council in different disciplines with an objective to overcome the shortage. They included: Onkar Singh Gill (volleyball coach), Jagjit Singh (hockey coach), Shakti Gupta (judo coach), Dalwinder Singh (hockey coach), Rachna Jamwal (fencing coach), Vikas Magotra (swimming coach), Javaid Ahmed Sofi (football coach), Muneer Aalam Mir (volleyball coach) and Rubia Jan (netball trainer) and Mohammad Ashraf Parray (handball instructor). A senior official of Sports Council said: “The process of regularisation of coaches on contract will take time. Right now, the file is lying with the Finance Department.” |
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Al-Hilal Club win football tourney
Jammu, July 24 The Minister for Information and Technology, Animal Husbandry and Sheep Husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, was the chief guest. He also distributed prizes among the winners and runners-up teams. Speaking on the occasion, the Mehdi said the government was committed to provide all possible support to the sportsmen and every step is being taken to popularise the sports activities. The organising secretary of the Kashmir Sports, Ghulam Rasool Bahar, in his address said, “The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, was the patron of Kashmir Sports while Advisor to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul was its chairman”. — TNS
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Anantnag clinch title for under-16 boys’ cricket
Jammu, July 24 Batting first, Ganderbal scored 153 runs in the allotted 25 overs. In reply, Sabzar played a match winning knock of 80 runs to help his Anantnag team win. In u-14 final played at HS Sonwar, Srinagar defeated Anantnag in a close contest. Batting first, Srinagar scored 120 runs in the allotted 20 Overs. Anantnag was bowled out for 113 runs.
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Cricket tourney commences
Jammu, July 24 A total of 16 teams drawn from all over the Valley are participating in the tournament. The Deputy-Director, Youth Services and Sports Department, Neelofar Amin, was chief guest at the inaugural ceremony. AJKCPA also disclosed that the selection of players for World Cricket Academy would be done during the tournament.
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Pugilist selected as constable
Jammu, July 24 He had also represented the state six times in the national championships held across the country. Dr Nirmolak Singh, general secretary of J&K Amateur Boxing Association and Anil Kumar Wadhera, boxing coach, State Sports Council, congratulated the boxer.
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Jammu is no longer a place worth living in. An erratic power supply amid high humidity levels has made the situation intolerable for children, old people and those suffering from some ailments.
Jammu, July 24
