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Pack of stray dogs mauls man
7 years on, construction work on Handwara village bridge incomplete
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Freezing night, sunny day set off Chillai Kalaan
Kerosene heaters help keep chill at bay
Health centres in remote villages to open at night too
‘Harisa’ remains Kashmir’s all-time favourite winter dish
Shopkeepers arrange plates of ‘harisa’ to sell in a shop in Srinagar. Tribune photo: Amin war
Bijbehara residents being charged for non-existent sanitation
Renzu Shah applauds role of Valley’s young writers
Orientation course for teachers begins at Kashmir University
Man killed, two injured in road accidents
Panic after leopard enters house
Anantnag to Ludhiana bus service from tomorrow
Body found
Batmaloo register win
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Pack of stray dogs mauls man
Srinagar, December 21 Ghulam Muhammad was eventually brought to the Valley’s lone Anti-Rabies Clinic at Shri Maharaja Pratap Singh Hospital (SMHS), Srinagar, where he was treated with anti-rabies vaccine and rabies-immunoglobulin. He suffered from lacerated wounds in head, ear, face, arms, thighs, legs and eyes. “We have discharged him from the hospital, as his condition is stable now,” an official at SMHS Hospital confirmed. Dearth of anti-rabies vaccine in peripheral health centres and hospitals has only led to an increase in human fatalities resulting from dog bites as instant treatment is not provided. Dog bite victims in the valley largely prefer private treatment due to the state government’s failure in providing the vaccine free of cost despite the state High Court’s
directive. “A dog bite victim who cannot afford the life-saving Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) which costs Rs 450 to Rs 500 per vial, has to literally beg for the treatment or else risk his/her life. Usually, the patient requires 1-2 vials to save his life after he is bitten,” Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, member, Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies, said. |
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7 years on, construction work on Handwara village bridge incomplete
Handwara, December 21 They said at least 10 villages including Sarmarg, Kahipora, Lasipora, Tarakapora, Dedipora, Sutanpora, Chak and Datipora were cut off from Handwara town due to the incomplete bridge. Work on the bridge was started in 2005 and was to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.20 crore, but it has not yet been made motorable. Students and employees said they were often reaching schools and places of posting late as they had to cover around 15 km through Zachaldara to reach Handwara. “Kahipora and its adjoining villages are hardly 8 km from Handwara, but due to the incomplete bridge, we are forced to cover double the distance to reach Handwara through Zachaldara. It also means we have to shell out more money and we often get late while reaching Handwara,” said Shamim Ahmad, a teacher posted in Handwara. Residents said in case of emergencies, their problems were compounded. “We are often forced to carry patients over stretches or take them to district hospital Handwara through Zachaldara, which consumes a lot of time. If anybody falls ill during night hours, it is too difficult for us to ferry him to hospital,” said Sadiq Ahmad, an elderly. Locals said at least six cattle had drowned in the nullah. Abdul Khaliq Bhat of Sarmarg said the life of his 12-year-old ailing son Ashiq Ahmad could have been saved had he reached the hospital for treatment in time. “He was seriously ill and it took us at least two hours to arrange a vehicle and take him to Handwara hospital. The doctors attending on him said that his condition has worsened due to the delay. He succumbed to illness in the hospital last month,” said Khaliq. The dismayed locals said despite many representations to the office of Roads and Buildings in Handwara, construction work on the vital bridge had not been paced up. Executive Engineer R and B division Handwara Mohd Salim Khan said three major pillars of the bridge had already been installed and the department will
make efforts to complete the bridge before April next year. “We expect release of Rs 40 lakh from the state fund in March next year. Work on bridge will be paced up and the bridge made motorable in April,” he said. |
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Freezing night, sunny day set off Chillai Kalaan
Srinagar, December 21 Chillai Kalaan, which has, for generations, caught the imagination of residents here for its extreme and freezing chill, is the time when roads gather frost, water supply freezes and residents shiver in the cold. And on Thursday night, 'Chillai Kalaan' began with its full grandeur as the night temperature - which had been settling on a positive mark over the last one week - fell drastically, recording a new low of the season. The mercury around Srinagar, the main town in the region, plummeted to minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, so far the lowest of the season. The Thursday night temperature made for a dip of exactly five degrees from the minimum temperature of the previous night when the mercury had settled at a low of 1.7 degrees Celsius. Sun over the city, however, shone brightly throughout the day - a rarity during the ‘Chillai Kalaan’ - as the maximum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius. The state meteorological department said the weather is likely to remain dry in the region for the next 48 hours. Kashmir region last week received moderate to heavy snowfall and rains, with the mountainous areas and resorts receiving the bulk of the snow. The Gulmarg resort in North Kashmir recorded an exceptionally cold night, with the mercury falling to a low of minus 10.8 degrees Celsius and at Pahalgam resort in South Kashmir, the night temperature fell to minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. Leh town in remote Ladakh region also recorded the season’s coldest night so far, with the mercury there dropping to 17.2 degrees Celsius while the adjoining Kargil district recorded a low of minus 13.8 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological department official said. The minimum temperature in Ladakh region usually hovers many degrees below the freezing point in winter months, sometimes falling to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. The Ladakh region remains cut off from the rest of the state for most of the winter as heavy snow along the Srinagar-Leh road shuts access to the mountainous Ladakh. Qazigund, the southern gateway town to Kashmir valley, recorded a minimum of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius while in the frontier Kupwara town in North Kashmir, the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 3.1 degrees Celsius. |
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Kerosene heaters help keep chill at bay
Srinagar, December 21 One-time expenditure of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per kerosene heater depending on its capacity and the customer’s requirements ensures an affordable and hassle-free winter for an average income household. Even the maintenance costs of kerosene heaters are cheaper than LPG and electric heaters, which is luring a large number of people. A litre of kerosene is priced anywhere in the range of Rs 14 to Rs 20. It is apparently enough to keep the kerosene heater going for a few days. New kerosene heater models available in the market are not only meant to warm your homes up, but also aid in cooking and heating water. “They are multipurpose in nature. Customers do not have to shell out a huge amount to buy these unlike in the case of LPG and electric heaters,” says Mir
Mushtaq, a dealer at Kashmir Motors, Lal Chowk. Traders opine that since new and innovative kerosene heater models being imported from Japan, China, and Korea are making their inroads into the Valley’s heating appliances market, their usage has started catching up. As compared to conventional kerosene cooking stoves, which pose health risk, dealers say, the upgraded models are non-hazardous for health and are safe to use. “These models emit minimum amount of smoke and can even be used in closed rooms. There less chances of them causing fire or other health hazards. However, usual precautions are suggested,” Mushtaq said. |
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Health centres in remote villages to open at night too
Handwara, December 21 It has been a long-pending demand of people in remote villages to keep the centres open during night hours to provide them healthcare facility round-the-clock. The health department today formally threw open four health centres in Nowgam, Tartahpora, Ramhal, Lakempora Rajwar and Buwan Mawar villages for night hours. The centres would remain open during the night as well. Locals have expressed satisfaction over the development. They say in absence of the facility, they were forced to take patients to Handwara hospital during night hours. “We are thankful to the authorities for keeping the centres open during night hours. It was a long-pending demand and by providing the facility, the department has come to the rescue of people in far-off areas,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a local. Residents of bordering villages including Reshwari, Kothawari, Lawoosa, Nowgam and Ragha said they had to cover at least 35 km to avail medical facility in Handwara. Residents including tribal people from Buwan village said they were facing security-related problems during night travel and the facility would help a great deal in mitigating their problems. “It is a great development and we are highly thankful especially to CMO Kupwara and MLA Langate who did not test our patience any more and provided us the facility. The villages are far from Handwara and we have been facing problems due to non-availability of the facility at night,” said Nowgam sarpanch Abdul Latif. Earlier, the centres in these villages were closed down before 5 pm. CMO Kupwara Dr Abdul Majid Wani said it has been a long-pending demand of the villagers in remote areas to keep the centres open during nights and under NRHM scheme, the facility was provided to them. |
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‘Harisa’ remains Kashmir’s all-time favourite winter dish
Srinagar, December 21 The dish is also prepared at households and also sold at a few bakery shops from the past few years. Lovers of this delicacy say it is relished the most only when eaten at the traditional joints where it is served piping hot. “Nowadays, harisa is sold by some bakeries throughout the day and also made at homes. But if one has to get the real taste, it should be eaten at places like Aali Kadal,” said Meraj-u-ddin, a local. Gow Kadal and Sarai Bala areas are also famous for the dish but the most popular joint of the city continues to be the Ali Kadal. Irfan Malik, a harisa lover, says no other joint can beat the flavour at the Aali Kadal when it comes to preparing this winter delicacy. “For a long time now, the Aali Kadal joint has been preparing the best harisa. At this place, one cannot find this delicacy after 8 am unlike other places where it is available till late,” he said. “And if you want to pack harisa at the Aali Kadal, you have to book it a day in advance by keeping an utensil at the joint,” Irfan added. Harisa is being relished in Kashmir for centuries now, its origin and exact date of entry to the Valley continues to remain unknown. Historian Prof Muhammad Ishaq Khan said the Persian culture has great influence in Kashmir. He said there was a possibility that harisa, which is also eaten in Iran, may have come to the Valley from the Persian belt. However, he said there was no historical record of the same. Besides Kashmir, harisa is a popular dish in Hyderabad where it is known as haleem. While harisa is prepared in the Valley only in winters, haleem is eaten after iftaar (fast breaking) time during the holy month of Ramadan in Hyderabad. In the Valley, harisa is made by mixing soft meat (mutton) with uncooked rice, water, and spices. The mixture is stirred for hours until it becomes smooth. It is served with bread with hot oil poured on top and some shops also scoop it up with kebabs. However, in Hyderabad, chicken and beef varieties of haleem are also served.
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Bijbehara residents being charged for non-existent sanitation
Anantnag, December 21 Locals say the streets and bylanes of the town are almost always choking with the filth littered around, which, in turn, is taking a heavy toll on the health of residents. “There is no sewage treatment plant anywhere in the vicinity and if at all the committee bothers to clean up the filth, they dump it by the roadside on the immediate outskirts of the town, causing severe trouble to the people living nearby,” said Arshad
Hussain, a resident. Residents rue that despite the pathetic state of affairs falling under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Committee
Bijbehara, they are being levied with sanitation charges unlike most of the places in Kashmir. “A few months back, the Executive Officer of the Municipal Committee issued a circular asking the commercial establishments to pay Rs 50 as sanitation charges and the residential complexes a sum of Rs 30,” said Rayees Ahmad, another local. Locals say they readily agreed to pay these charges with the hope that they will get to see their surroundings clean. “It has been more than four months now since we started to pay the charges; however, the apathy of the Municipal Committee towards the town continues,” said
Rayees. “There are areas which do not fall into the jurisdiction of this Committee but the height of corruption is such that the civic body keeps charging the shopkeepers in those areas too on one pretext or another,” said a resident, Asif
Nabi. The officials of the department were not available for comment on the grievances put forward by the people. |
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Renzu Shah applauds role of Valley’s young writers
Srinagar, December 21 The author’s book, Zakhmo Ki Sallgirah, was recently included in literature works of the Central University of Hyderabad. Renzu Shah was speaking at the anniversary function of Kashmir’s weekly publication, Kashmir Scenario, at Ibn-Khaldoon Auditorium, University of Kashmir, recently. He said the role of media is crucial in determining the affairs of the society and even the higher-rank bureaucrats should not be spared from its axe if they are at fault. “Media has to play an important role to address the grievances of the masses and to represent public opinion related to social, political, cultural issues. We need to appreciate the efforts put in by young journalists of Kashmir to change the realities towards journalism in a positive manner,” he said. “Weekly publications are catching fancy of people here especially if they focus on issues related to youths, development and education,” Kashmir Scenario’s editor Malik Sajid said. Director tourism Talat Parvaiz, Brig TPS Rawat, chief engineer Beacon Dr Manzoor Yetoo, special officer Amir Ali were also present on the occasion. |
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Orientation course for teachers begins at Kashmir University
Registrar of the university Prof Zafar A Reshi was the chief guest at the inaugural function. He said the main objectives of staff colleges all over the country are to conduct specially-designed academic staff orientation programmes for the newly-appointed teachers and refresher courses for serving teachers to keep abreast of the latest advances in various subjects, exchange expressions with their peers and learn mutually from each others. He asked participants to make the orientation courses attractive by holding discussions with the resource persons. Academic Staff College director Dr Farooq Fayaz in his address pointed out that several innovations were incorporated into this orientation course to provide the participants an opportunity to experience teaching-learning pedagogy in different settings and get accustomed to the advancements in multimedia, library and information sciences. He took up the financial impediments in the way of the functioning of the college, KU, with the registrar who in turn assured his full support and cooperation to the director. |
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Man killed, two injured in road accidents
Srinagar, December 21 Both the injured were admitted in the District Hospital Anantnag for treatment where Azhar succumbed to his injuries. Shahnawaz was referred to a city base hospital for further treatment. A case has been registered. In another incident, a Santro car hit and injured a pedestrian Sonaullah Wani (70) in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The injured was admitted in District Hospital Kulgam for treatment. A case has been registered. |
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Panic after leopard enters house
Srinagar, December 21 “A leopard entered the house of Mohammad
Shafi Sheikh, a resident of Ishber Nishat. The incident created panic among residents of the area,” a police spokesman said in a statement issued here. The spokesman said the police and the wild life authorities rushed to the spot and trapped the
wild cat. |
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Anantnag to Ludhiana bus service from tomorrow
Srinagar, December 21 An official said the service will run twice a week. The SRTC bus service from Anantnag to Amritsar is already running on a daily basis, the official added. The SRTC had already started a 15-day tour service from Anantnag to Ajmer Sharief around two weeks ago.
— TNS |
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Body found
Srinagar, December 21 The police said the body of Sajad Ahmed Dar, a resident of Sopore, was recovered from the Jhelum at Sumbal in the wee hours on Friday. The body was handed over to the family after legal formalities. The police stated
Dar was missing since past three weeks. It had taken cognisance and initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC Act to ascertain the cause of his death. |
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Batmaloo register win
Srinagar, December 21 In other matches, Solina FC beat All Star Football Club by 1-0, Maharaja Sports Club were better of KFC by 3-0, Star Football Club crushed Independent Football Club by 1-0 and National Dalgate beat Hangul FC by 3-0. The tournament is being organised by the J&K Football Association, which had recently organised a football match after a gap of 26 years at Sheri-Kashmir Indoor
stadium. — TNS |
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An elderly man, Ghulam Muhammad sustained multiple injuries on Friday after a group of 15-20 stray dogs attacked him during the early morning hours of Thursday.
With usage of electric and LPG-based heating appliances proving to be out of budget for the majority in the Valley, kerosene heaters seem to be a hit this winter season.
One-time expenditure of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per kerosene heater depending on its capacity and the customer’s requirements ensures an affordable and hassle-free winter for an average income household.
Srinagar, December 21
Srinagar, December 21