Srinagar, March 14
A day after the killing of a youth during protests, situation across the Kashmir valley remained tense but by and large peaceful today.

As the authorities had imposed curfew amid the shutdown and protests call of the separatists to against the killing of a youth at Saidpora here yesterday, normal life remained disrupted. Most of the shops, government offices, educational institutions and business establishments remained closed while traffic remained off the roads.

Security forces were seen keeping strict vigil across the Valley. Barbed wires were placed at several junctions due to the imposition of curfew. A police spokesman said the situation remained by and large peaceful throughout the Kashmir valley even as isolated incidents of stone-throwing took place at few places.

Reports of stone-throwing were received from Safakadal area here besides Kurhama and Badergund in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The police spokesman said the security forces exercised maximum restraint while dealing with the law and order situations during which eight police personnel also received minor injuries.

Reports said normal life was hit at other parts of the Valley as well. The police and the CRPF contingents were deployed in strength at all major towns of north Kashmir, including Baramulla, Handwara, Sopore, Kupwara, Lolab and Bandipora.

Healthcare too was affected in major hospitals of north Kashmir as many doctors could not attend their duties due to restrictions, sources said.

Even though a group of protesting youth clashed with the security forces at the Cement Bridge and SRTC Bridge in Baramulla, no reports of any person getting injured were received. Stray incidents of stone-throwing were also reported from Kulgam and Gagran area of Shopian in south Kashmir. However, no report of injuries to protesters was reported.

Curfew was also imposed in most parts of south Kashmir region. The security personnel had erected barricades and barbed wires at the entry and exit points of the major towns.

Meanwhile, separatist groups condemned the house arrest of their leaders and imposition of restrictions. In a statement, hardline Hurriyat faction spokesman while condemning the house arrest of chairman Syed Ali Geelani claimed that the separatist leader was not allowed to meet visitors. However, he said Geelani would offer Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid, Sopore, tomorrow and also address a gathering in north Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who is also under house arrest, flayed the government for turning entire Kashmir into a ‘big jail’. Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the government had ‘failed at all levels’.

(With inputs from Amin Masoodi and Suhail A Shah)

Kupwara, March 14
Incessant rains since Tuesday raised the water level in major streams and rivers, including Kehmil, Pohru, Mawar and Warnow nullah, in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. Flood threat was looming large due to the constantly increasing water level in the major rivers, an official said.

Residents of low-lying Bohipora village said the water level in Kehmil nullah had increased considerably due to rains. They demanded that a protection bundh be raised on the banks of the nullah to avoid flooding of the low-lying village. Several villages had witnessed floods in 2003 and 2006. Hundreds of kanals were washed away due to floods.

“A protection bundh is a must to save the village from devastation. We have made several representations to the district administration during the past years for raising a bundh on the banks of the nullah but our pleas have been ignored time and again,” said Mohammad Ashraf Malik, a resident of Bohipora.

Another resident said, “Hundreds of kanals had been washed away due to floods and property damaged in the past but the authorities continue to ignore our problems. The village is reeling under severe threat of floods due to incessant rains.”

A senior official of the administration in Kupwara said there was no need to panic as the water level was not alarmingly high in the major rivers across the district. The bus stand in Kupwara was submerged in water due to rains.

Heavy rain in the region since Tuesday has thrown normal life out of gear. The upper reaches in north Kashmir received heavy rainfall since Tuesday evening, reports said. Pedestrians had to face a lot of difficulties in traversing the water-logged streets, lanes and bylanes in Handwara and Kupwara, sources said.

People complained that drains were ill-maintained and even light rains create a lot of problems for them. “We face a lot of difficulties while walking through the water-logged streets and lanes. The drains are so ill-maintained that rainwater over-flows, making the movement difficult,” said Shabir Ahmad of Harpora, Handwara. 

Srinagar, March 14
Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the Kashmir valley since last night, causing a slight dip in day temperature. However, the MeT office has forecast improvement in weather conditions from tomorrow.

Srinagar city received 12 mm rainfall since last night, an official of the Meteorological Department said. Similarly, Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, received 20.6 mm rainfall while the border town Kupwara received 28.8 mm rainfall. Tourist resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir received 27.4 mm rainfall.

Reports of light snowfall in the upper reaches of the Valley were also received. Talking to The Tribune, Meteorological Department Director Sonam Lotus said the weather was expected to remain dry from tomorrow and improve gradually in the Valley.

However, a MeT official said rain was expected at isolated places across the state.

The weatherman has forecast mainly cloudy weather during the next 24 hours in the summer capital with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain around 14 and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively. While Srinagar city is expected to remain dry, there is a possibility of light rain in Jammu with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 25 and 14 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Due to overnight rain that continued in the morning hours, day temperatures witnessed a slight dip. Srinagar, Qazigund, Kupwara and Pahalgam recorded 13.7, 15.5, 12.1 and 14.4 degrees Celsius minimum temperatures, respectively. Incessant rains since last night also led to waterlogging on roads in many parts of the Valley.

The minimum temperatures at Srinagar, Qazigund, Kupwara and Pahalgam were 6.4, 5.0, 5.1 and 0.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Ski resort Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the Valley recording minus 4 degrees Celsius minimum temperature.

Meanwhile, day temperatures improved in Ladakh region. However, night temperatures there continued to remain sub-zero.

Leh and Kargil recorded 13.6 and 10.2 degrees Celsius maximum temperatures, respectively.

Leh saw a low of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius while Kargil recorded minus 7.0 degrees Celsius minimum temperature.

Srinagar, March 14
To check food adulteration, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to constitute a special task force to monitor the area-wise supply and sale of food articles on a weekly basis.

The court has also asked the government to determine the time needed for finalising a “comprehensive proposal” for making the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA), 2006, “effective and visible on the ground.”

These directions were issued by a Division Bench of the court yesterday. It is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking implementation of food safety standards to check food adulteration in the state. The latest directions by the high court follow submission by Food Safety Commissioner Manoj Kumar Dwivedi in compliance to the previous directions.

He submitted that a comprehensive proposal was under “active” consideration of the government for implementation of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. Apart from holding the additional charge of Food Safety Commissioner, Dwivedi is also the Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department.

Earlier on January 2, the high court had directed the authorities concerned to take samples of eatables from market and factories in all the districts of the state on a weekly basis for testing and initiate action against those violating the Act. Besides, the court had ordered continuous testing of the milk being sold in market.

After perusal of the respective compliance reports by the authorities concerned, the court in its fresh orders has asked them to take samples from all factories and industrial units manufacturing spices of all kinds on a weekly basis. The Bench also expressed displeasure over the compliance report regarding sampling of milk sold in the open market. “Throughout the state, a small number of samples have been taken, which can be termed as pick and choose. To say that the (previous) direction has been complied with, we don’t appreciate it.”

The Bench has now directed the authorities concerned to carry out testing of milk samples on a weekly basis.

Besides, the high court has directed all the District Magistrates in the state to monitor the functioning of authorities responsible for maintaining food safety standards in their respective districts.

Srinagar, March 14
Consistent interruptions in classes, postponement of examinations and delay in admissions to colleges and universities due to frequent curfews and clampdowns has been affecting education in the Valley for the last one month.

With 23 shutdowns and only 11 normal working days since February 9, academic calendars are being cut short repeatedly.

Since reopening of schools on March 11, after nearly 100 days of winter vacations, only two working days have been possible in schools and colleges, whereas Kashmir University examinations are being consistently deferred.

Admissions to postgraduate courses in Kashmir University and undergraduate courses in 50 degree colleges of the Valley also stand delayed due to the prolonged spell of curfews and shutdowns.

Even if the directive of the state government to conduct classes on strike days came on march 11, the same stands invalid in view of security concern of children, especially after Wednesday’s Fidayeen attack near Police Public School in Bemina, Srinagar.

However, the authorities cited helplessness behind the constant postponement of examinations.

“Although we don’t wish to, but we are forced to cancel the examinations repeatedly. Exams are not bigger than the lives of students. These are uncertain times and we have to be considerate about the safety of students and teachers,” Prof Abdul Salam Bhat, Controller of Examinations, Kashmir University, said.

Muhammad Shafi Rather, Director, School Education, Kashmir division, said it was left to schools to decide whether to remain operational on a particular strike day depending on law and order situation prevailing in that particular area.

“Schools may take call on their own whether to conduct classes or not. When there is unrest in only some parts of the Valley, schools in other areas may remain open. But class work suffers inevitably,” he added.

Notwithstanding the assurances by the authorities, parents, children and teachers are skeptical about normal academic calendars this year since there are few signs of normalcy being restored in the Valley.

“There are repeated incidents of protests and violence taking place all over the Valley. Even when the schools resumed functioning, they had to shut again due to fresh spate of violence,” Qurat-ul-Ain, an academician, said. 

Srinagar, March 14
Measures are afoot to augment infrastructure and human resources in school education for infusing momentum into the performance of the Education Department. This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand while reviewing the follow up action of a recently held meeting regarding the performance of the School Education Department in the Valley. 

Those who participated in the meeting included Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon; Secretary, School Education, FA Faktoo; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmad Khan; Director, School Education, Kashmir, Mohammad Shafi Rather and Joint Director Information, Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Khan.

“As many as 4,500 and 581 posts have been referred for filling up on a fast-track basis to the Services Selection Recruitment Board and Public Service Commission, respectively. Besides, 2,529 masters, 2,041 lecturers and promotion of 81 masters to lecturer have been regularised while 325 shall be regularised soon,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

“The final seniority list of about 1,400 senior lecturers shall be issued soon,” he added “The new transfer policy will be implemented and those serving in far-flung areas will be recalled back. In future, such tenure will be limited up to one year only, which will be compulsory for all, except those having complicated health problems and fatal diseases,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. 

Srinagar, March 14
National Conference’s provincial president for the Kashmir region Nasir Aslam Wani has said the man killed by the CRPF in the old city of Srinagar was "innocent" and termed his killing as a “cold-blooded murder”.

Wani, who has formerly been the Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister of State for Home, said he condemned the killing of Altaf Ahmad Wani, who was shot dead by the CRPF personnel yesterday afternoon near his residence in the old city here.

“It is a cold-blooded murder. Altaf was a staunch supporter of the National Conference,” Wani said in a statement. The NC leader said the man was also a “close associate” of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul.

“The antecedents of Altaf Ahmad Wani are very well known to the party and the party can vouch for the fact that he was never involved in any stone throwing incident and as such the party is convinced that he was innocent,” Wani said. He condemned the killing and demanded a “time bound judicial enquiry” into the incident.

Meanwhile, moderate separatist group Hurriyat Conference has called for a shutdown today against the killing. The group, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also termed it as a "revenge killing". 

Srinagar, March 14
At a time when private and public transport is off roads in the Valley due to curfew imposed by the state government, ambulances are ferrying staff instead of patients. It has affected the healthcare services here.

The staff of SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Bones and Joints Hospital, Srinagar, SKIMS, Soura and LD Hospital Srinagar is reporting to work by commuting in ambulances, as private vehicles are not being allowed to ply due to the curfew in the Valley.

However, the usage of ambulances for hospital staff has affected patients in the Valley, especially those who are referred from one hospital to another and have to wait for ambulances.

There is only one critical care ambulance in the entire Valley available with SMHS hospital for terminally ill patients.

The hospital administrations expressed helplessness over the matter and said the proposal of providing more critical care ambulances to the Valley hospitals was pending with the government.

“We have apprised the higher authorities of this. The healthcare in the Valley is definitely affected due to curfew and shutdowns. However, it is also important for staff to reach hospitals. Hence, we have pressed ambulances into service. The government is likely to provide two-three critical care ambulances to us in near future,” Dr Rafiq Ahmad Pampori, Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, and Associated Hospitals said.

He added that the use of private vans by hospitals was not allowed during curfews.

“Though these are originally meant for patients, ambulances seem to be the best way out in these conditions for use by staff,” Dr Rafiq Ahmad told The Tribune.

Meanwhile, some NGOs too have pressed their ambulances in service free of cost for helping people.

“We have six ambulances in service in Srinagar city alone and we carried nearly 100 patients today from one hospital to another or to their homes. Government ambulances are busy carrying their staff than people. There were hordes of people, some of them terminally ill waiting for transport outside the SMHS, LD hospitals. Though the demand is much higher, our volunteers are doing their best,” Farooq Ahmad, president, Help Poor Voluntary Trust, an NGO, said.