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Dilapidated NH44
Kilns still operating on agri land
Despite authorities crying hoarse over destruction of fertile land and pollution due to brick kilns on Jammu’s outskirts, govt’s efforts have remained restricted to meetings and preparation of reports.
Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
Five from IGNOU Jammu get gold
medals
Kin of undertrial killed in jail hold protest, demand probe
Family members of Mohammad Ismail Shah, who was killed in jail premises, hold protest in Srinagar on Friday. Tribune photo:
Amin War
Strike hits life in Baramulla; one injured in clashes
Awareness camp and Lok Adalat conclude
End in sight for Srinagar’s parking woes soon
Nutnoosa residents threaten protests against water shortage
Lone expresses concern over spurious drugs
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Recarpeting of roads caught in blame
game
Jammu, April 12 Though R&B blames ERA for not releasing funds on time for the hold-up as per the agreement, the blame game has left citizens trying to cope with dust, potholes and danger of accidents while commuting on several roads in the city. Snail’s pace of the work has already made lives of people miserable in Patoli, Paloura, Subash Nagar, Shakti Nagar and several interior areas of Janipur-New plot area. Even senior officers from both the departments accept work is going on slowly despite concern shown by the government and several review meetings being held at the ministerial level. The completion period of Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) for the city’s waste has already been extended to October 2014. “Recarpeting cannot be started as ERA has not released the funds as per the agreement and there are several problems cropping up where the work has been completed, mainly technical in nature. Only when they release the funds and complete the repairs can we step in, said Chief Engineer R&B, Tehsim Mustafa. When contacted, Managing Director ERA, Jai Gopal Mengi, claimed that funds will be released soon. “We are not holding funds deliberately, but some money has already been released. Rest of it will be made available for recarpeting soon. There is no problem at our end,” he said. Roads in several areas are in a deplorable condition. Even pedestrians find it difficult to pass through. The dust generated by passing of vehicles is creating problems for the sick and people having respiratory problems. “That means the city will still have to face a chaos-like situation till both the departments stop their fight. Agencies have failed to complete the work as per the plan laid out and we have been demanding that there should be investigation about the quality of work,” said Sunil Dimple, president, Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM). As per records, only 50 km work of laying lateral sewers (connecting different localities with main sewer line) out of 90.74 km has been completed. About 10 per cent of main sewer line is still incomplete. Under the centrally sponsored project, nearly 48,220 houses of Srinagar city at a cost of Rs 132.01 crore and 30,400 houses of Jammu at a cost of Rs 129.30 crore are expected to be connected with the modern sewerage system, when completed. However, even after five years, the project is far from completion, resulting in not only cost escalation but also a huge problem for the city residents in both the capital cities. |
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‘Fall in mishaps’ attributed to bad road condition
RK Kichlu
It may sound ridiculous but the common feeling here is that besides the efforts of the Traffic Police since September 2012, the increasing dilapidation of the NH44 might be the main reason for the fall in the number of accidents. The condition of the 40-km Chenani-Nashri stretch of the highway, including Kud, Patnitop and Batote, has worsened and is riddled with potholes and sinking road portions. Despite all this, the J&K government resumed the two-way traffic on the NH44 from March 15 and plying of trucks from April 1, which further slowed down the vehicular traffic, thereby causing huge traffic snarls and inconvenient journeys. Reportedly, the deep potholes on the road had resulted into the breakage of axels or other parts and into the overturning of heavy vehicles. “Unlike early last year when no month passed without a major accident on the highway with heavy death toll, there has not been any such mishap for the last some months. Yet, every driver finds this highway stretch more dangerous than ever before,” said NA Mir, President, Sarpanch Association, District Doda. It is felt that the road’s condition kept on deteriorating ever since the portion was taken over by Leighton Welspun Contractors Private Ltd (LWCPL), an Australian firm constructing India’s longest (9-km) road tunnel between Chenani and Nashri through the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) from the Beacon in May 2011, as it had not been repaired since then. The last three winters and the extended rainy season this year has aggravated its condition. Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG), SA Beig said “As soon as I took over as the DIG, Traffic, Jammu Division on September 14, I started a vigorous campaign for the use of seat belts, uniforms and beacon light by bus drivers and conductors and ensured strict adherence to the traffic rules by the public, besides taking punitive action against the corrupt policemen. But it is a common feeling that the highway is too bad to drive fast and rashly or overtake another vehicle,” he added. According to reliable sources, the LWCPL had given the contract of NH44 maintenance to a Valley-based contractor Nazir Ahmed Khan, a senior National Conference leader. “Since, we had cancelled his contract last year, now we shall be repairing NH44 ourselves as soon as the weather is suitable,” said one of the top officers of LWCPL on the condition of anonymity.
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Dr Shrivatsa gets Hinditar Bhashi Lekhak Puraskar
Jammu, April 12 The award was presented under the scheme of Hinditar Bhashi Lekhak Puraskar for the year 2010. Dr Shrivatsa was chosen for the prestigious award for his translation work titled “Boond Boond Smritiyan”. His name for the award was decided by a high-level Select Committee constituted by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development. The award comprises cash of one-lakh money is given to a literary person who is working for the promotion of Hindi language in a non-Hindi speaking state. Dr Shrivatsa has also received prestigious Babu Ganga Sharan Singh award instituted by Kendriya Hindi
Sansthan, Agra. The award was conferred by the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on September 14, 2006 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in recognition to the contribution made in promotion of Hindi in J&K. He received a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and
a citation. |
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Kilns still operating on agri land
Jammu, April 12 A report prepared by the government says 65 brick kilns and 32 stone crushers in J&K were operating unauthorisedly till last year. However, till now, nothing has been done to shut them down so that their effect on
on the environment could be contained. Despite concern being expressed over destruction of fertile land and pollution due to presence of kilns, the government’s efforts have largely remained restricted to official meetings and preparation of reports. Kilns continue to function in several areas in violation of norms. A few months back, a sub-committee constituted by Legislative Assembly (LA) had directed the authorities to submit a detailed report on the impact of kilns on the local population and agricultural land so that action could be taken, but beyond the meetings, nothing happened. Putting a question mark on the drive against illegal kilns, the government had submitted in the Legislative Assembly this year that about 377 kilns are built on agricultural land in the state for which permission has been given by Deputy Commissioners of respective districts. These illegal units release a huge amount of soot and dust into the environment, which impacts the nearby vegetation and health of the people. “The brick kilns emit toxic fumes containing suspended particulate matter rich in carbon particles and high concentration of carbon monoxide and oxides of sulphur that are harmful to the eyes, lungs and throat,” said Bushan Parimoo, an environmentalist. These gases severely affect the functioning of photosynthesis in plants. Besides changing characteristics of plants, these gases bring about change in the micro-climatic variations of places. As per data gathered by State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Respiratory Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) has witnessed a steep rise in the past
two decades. |
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Five from IGNOU Jammu get gold medals
Jammu, April 12 In Jammu, the convocation was held at Auditorium, Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, where Savita Bakshi, Secretary, Kala Kendra and Additional Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, was the guest of honour and awarded degrees and diplomas to the eligible learners. A total of 1,135 learners from Regional Centre Jammu were declared successful and eligible to receive diplomas and degree certificates, out of whom, about 250 learners were awarded degrees and diplomas at the convocation function in Jammu in person. Five learners from the Regional Centre Jammu received gold medals. Gold medallists were Jaswant Kaur for Diploma in Nursing Administration, Monica Sharma for Post-graduate Diploma in Distance Education, Priyanka Magotra for Diploma in Management, Ajay Gandotra for Post-graduate Diploma in Environment and Sustainable Development and Dharamvir Singh for Masters in Political Science. Two other candidates from Jammu, namely Devinder Singh and Vishal Raina, were awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Ph D) degrees in Agriculture during the convocation in New Delhi today. — TNS
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Kin of undertrial killed in jail hold protest, demand probe
Srinagar, April 12 Mohammad Ismail Shah, a resident of Churat village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, who was an undertrial lodged at the Central Jail in Srinagar, was killed by a prisoner on April 6 in the jail premises. Shah was hit on the head by the prisoner, identified as Ghulam Hassan Malik of
Check-Saidpora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district. A police spokesman had said Shah was sleeping when he was hit with a stone by
Malik. Shah had sustained serious head injuries and was shifted to a nearby hospital from where he was referred to SKIMS hospital. He later succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Shah’s family members said it should be investigated how the prisoner could manage to get a stone inside the prison cell. Several protesters, including women, were later detained by the police and bundled into police vehicles. |
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Strike hits life in Baramulla; one injured in clashes
Kupwara, April 12 Groups of youth clashed with the CRPF and the police deployed at Khanpora, Cement, Azad Gunj, and SRTC bridges in the town. The policemen fired a few teargas shells and also resorted to pepper gun to disperse the protesters. Touseef Ahmed, son of Gais-ud-din of Towheed Gunj, was injured in the police action. A rubber bullet hit his leg and he was rushed to the District Hospital at Baramulla for treatment. His condition is stated to be stable. The protesters were demanding the release of three youth arrested by the police yesterday. All major bridges in the town remained sealed with rolls of concertina wires. In the wake of strike call given by an anonymous group of youth ‘Nawjawn-i-Milat, demanding removal of the Army camp from the old town, all shops, commercial establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed. The public transport was largely off roads. In view of Baisakhi tomorrow, the group has asked the people to resume normal work. “There will be no strike tomorrow and the next course of action will be decided tomorrow,” said Mohd Shafi, an old town resident. Army men from 46 RR had allegedly shot dead Tahir Ahmad Sofi last month during a demonstration. The killing had evoked protests throughout the Valley for about two weeks. |
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Awareness camp and Lok Adalat conclude
Batote, April 12 On the occasion, eight students belonging to the GHSS and Government Girls High
School, Batote read out their speeches on ‘The Empowerment of Women’ and ‘The Child Labour’.
The students
also presented an educational short skit on the ‘The Empowerment of Women’. While appreciating the views of the students on the given topics, the Sub-Judge, NA Khan underlined the importance of women in our families and societies and exhorted the public to respect and care for them to strengthen societies. At the end, all the participating students were given the consolation prizes. |
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End in sight for Srinagar’s parking woes soon
Srinagar, April 12 An area of 3,472 sq mt has been taken over from the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) where the car parking facility will be built. It will also include a three-storeyed commercial complex comprising office space, public toilets and shops for rehabilitation of the offices and shopkeepers which were present at the proposed parking site. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the first week of April between the Srinagar Development Authority and J&K ERA after which the construction work took off. On completion, this facility is expected to provide hassle-free parking for cars and prevent frequent clogging of traffic in the city hub which also leads to fuel wastage besides increasing levels of air pollution. Besides smooth movement of vehicles, the traffic management in the city is also expected to improve. The frequent roadside parking, which leads to recurrent traffic jams in Srinagar, is also supposed to end once the parking facility is ready to use. The contract for this project has been bagged by M/s Simplex Projects Limited, a national level construction company. |
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Nutnoosa residents threaten protests against water shortage
Kupwara, April 12 “The consumption of contaminated water has led to water-borne diseases like jaundice and gastroenteritis. We made several pleas to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) of Handwara division to supply us potable water through water tankers but they never bothered to act,” said Shahid Rafiq, a local resident. The locals threatened to take to streets if the PHE division did not restore the water supply to their village within two days. “To wake up PHE division from deep slumber, we will take to streets in protest against the department and its failure in restoring the water supply to the village. If the supply was not restored before Monday, we will lodge protest against the department” said Mohd Shafi, a local resident. Shaheena Begum, another resident, said, “We are forced to collect contaminated water from a nearby nullah, which has led to the outbreak of gastroenteritis. The water division should press tanker service into service till the supply is restored,” she said. A senior PHE official said due to the damage to main supply line in the village, the supply had got snapped to the village. “We are trying to repair the damaged line and hopefully the supply would be restored by tomorrow,” he said. Some local residents demanded that the PHE division should construct a major water reservoir in the village to redress their problems. “To address the shortage of drinking water, the PHE should construct a reservoir in the village to meet the water requirement of its inhabitants.” The consumption of contaminated water has led to water-borne diseases like jaundice and gastroenteritis. We made several pleas to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) of Handwara division to supply us potable water through water tankers but they never bothered to act. — Shahid Rafiq, a local resident |
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Lone expresses concern over spurious drugs
Srinagar, April 12 “The government continues to be in an abject state of indifference to the spurious drugs scandal. There is a clear attempt to shield the perpetrators of the vicious crime”, Lone said in a statement. The scandal was indicative of the "disdain and contempt" that the government nourished “against its own people". |
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Despite several committees constituted by the government to close down brick kilns on agricultural land, these kilns continue to operate in several villages adjoining Jammu city. A report prepared by the government says 65 brick kilns and 32 stone crushers in J&K were operating unauthorisedly till last year.
Family members of an undertrial, who was killed by a prisoner inside the Srinagar Central Jail last week, held a demonstration today and demanded an investigation into the case. The family members, who were accompanied by their
neighbours, raised slogans against the police and questioned the security of inmates inside the prisons.
Batote, April 12