Srinagar, August 8
Festive mood gripped the entire Kashmir valley today, as Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated tomorrow.

While people were seen thronging the marketplaces for last-minute shopping, others were seen rushing home early ahead of the festive occasion. Maximum rush of shoppers was witnessed at the bakery and butcher shops. Most of the offices, especially the government ones, wore a deserted look in the afternoon as the people had left home early.

As Eid-ul-Fitr falls after the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Eid celebrations usually start with special prayers in the morning. While several delicacies are prepared on Eid, people extend greetings to their kith and kin after Eid prayers throughout the course of the day. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated for two days in the Valley.

The largest Eid prayer congregations will be held at Eidgah in downtown Srinagar and the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake. Lakhs of people are expected to pour in at Eidgah and Hazratbal for Eid prayers.

According to a notification issued by the J&K Board for specified Wakfs and Wakf properties, Eid prayers at Hazratbal will be held at 10 am. Prayers at Eidgah will be held at the same time too.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul today visited Eidgah along with senior officials and took stock of the arrangements put in place by the district administration for Eid prayers. Earlier, Gul also chaired a meeting of senior officers to review the arrangements made for Eid-ul-Fitr.

Senior police officers, including ADGP security VK Singh, IGP Kashmir AG Mir, IGP traffic Muneer Khan, DIG traffic Jagjit Kumar and SP traffic Haseeb-ul-Rehman also visited Eidgah to take stock of arrangements. The traffic police has already issued a route map to deal with heavy rush of people ahead of and on Eid.

Srinagar, August 8
Young girls and women from all backgrounds are trying their hand out at henna art, which has made Eid eve look all the more attractive.

Henna artists had erected their make shift stalls or coordinated with the plush beauty parlours of the city for catering to the rush of women, who wish to adorn their hands.

Majority of these henna artisans are non-locals belonging to Jaipur, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and have their unique style of painting the hands.

Some beauty parlours have introduced combo-packages on the eve of Eid and are offering various discounts to attract the customers. However, majority of the womenfolk prefer roadside artists due to affordability factor.

“Both my daughters wanted to dye their hands with henna, since a lot of their friends are doing the same. They wouldn't settle for anything ordinary. I, therefore, took them to a beauty salon in the city, which had tied up with a mehendi designer. But they charged me Rs 2,000 which is very expensive as compared to road vendors,” Sumaira Hussain, a housewife, said.

Beauty parlour owners, though, offer their own reasons for increase in the rates.

“The quality of henna dye we use is superior. We especially invite expert designers from outside the state on Eid. All this leads to huge expenses, therefore, we charge more than what roadside vendor does,” Insha, a beauty parlour employee, said. 

Srinagar, August 8
The Railway authorities in Kashmir have decided to run additional trains from Saturday for three days to cater to the rush of passengers during the Eid festival.

An official of Railways at Budgam said they had sent a proposal to the Divisional Headquarter of Northern Railways, Ferozepur division who gave them the nod to run the additional trains from Saturday.

"During the Eid festival we had been witnessing huge rush in the previous years. So keeping this in mind, we have decided to increase the frequency of the train for three day from Saturday. For these three days, the train will make 18 trips between Baramulla in north Kashmir and Banihal in Jammu region," said a railway official.The rail is a favourite mode of commuting especially during the Eid festival days as the public transport is scarce.

Presently three trains make 14 trips between Baramulla and Banihal everyday and they halt at 16 railway stations.

The Railways had to face tough time during the Eid festivity in the past when many trains were damaged as the passengers could not get seats in the trains. After the rail link was extended up to Banihal the number of commuters that travel everyday in train is above 20,000. The number was 9,000 before the rail plied between Baramulla in north to Qazigund in south Kashmir.

Srinagar, August 8
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted four weeks time to the petitioners to submit their objections against the response filed by the J&K Police to the public interest litigation (PIL) applications seeking ban on the use of pepper gas and pellet guns on civilian protesters in Kashmir.

The directions were issued by a division bench of the J&K High Court, comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice A M Magray, today.

The J&K police, while defending the use of pepper gas on civilian protesters, in its response had said that it has no adverse effects.

They also claimed that there was enough scientific evidence to prove conclusively that these munitions were completely safe for use against humans.

Earlier, in his submission, Advocate General said that the response filed by the J&K police to the petition seeking ban on pepper gas use, should also be adopted in the petition seeking ban on the use of pellet gun.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing J&K police sought time to file supplementary affidavit in response to the petition seeking ban on the use of pellet gun. The J&K police had earlier submitted that the description of the ‘riot gear gun’ was awaited.

During today’s proceedings, the counsel representing Union of India also sought time to file his response to the petitions.

“After adopting the police response, the court today directed the petitioners to file written response to the said objections within four weeks,” one of the counsels’ connected with the petition told The Tribune.

The petitioners in the PILs were represented by B A Misri and Ajaz A Dar.

The police in its response had also revealed that since 2011 it had procured 15,000 units of non-lethal munitions, which includes 12,500 units of pepper gas (oleoresin) grenades as part of its non-lethal methods of crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir, which witnessed large-scale protests and stone-throwing incidents in 2008 and 2010.

The PIL seeking ban on pepper gas use had claimed that it contains capsaicin, which is derived from capsicum and is highly irritating. The PIL had also called for compensating the victims in case of death or other health hazards suffered due to the exposure to pepper gas. The pepper gas was introduced by police in Kashmir in 2010 to control the agitating mobs.

Srinagar, August 8
In an effort to help the underprivileged sections of the society, Chief Post Master General, Jammu and Kashmir, John Samuel, today launched ‘Sahayata Initiative’ by distributing school bags among the inmates of Makazri Fallahi Imdad at Ishber, Nishat in the outskirts of the city.

“Sahayata Initiative has been started to help the people who are underprivileged and disadvantaged, less-fortunate and needy," an official from Department of Posts said. "This initiative will encourage people to share their resources to help the needy and underprivileged," he added.

Meanwhile, Samuel termed the initiative as a step in the right direction.

"We are aware what we do in Sahayata Initiative is very insignificant, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. We all can do small things like this with great love and compassion for the needy," Samuel said.

Srinagar, August 8
One person died and nine others were injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley since Wednesday, said police.

Police said a Xylo (JK01Q/3068) hit a motorcycle (JK09/2527) near Shaloora, Kupwara, resulting in injuries to Sharief-ud-Din Khan of Jalalabad, Aadipora, Sopore, and two passengers travelling in the Xylo, Shabir Ahmad Dar of Shumnag Kupwara and Aijaz Ahmad Chopan of Shaloora, Kupwara.

The injured motorcyclist was shifted to Sub-District Hospital Kupwara for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. Other injured were shifted to Kralpora Hospital for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

In another accident, a Maruti car, bearing registeration number JK01F/1836, hit a motorcycle bearing registeration number PB/1409, driven by Abid Hussain Shah of Lasipora, Lolab, at Bomhama Kupwara, resulting in injuries to the Maruti driver Bashir Ahmad Sheikh of Regipora, a motorcyclist and pillion rider.

The injured were shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Kupwara for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

Police said a Tavera (JK05C/5897) hit a motorcycle driven by Rayees Ahmad Lone of Naidkhai Bandipora at National Highway near Petrol Pump Putkah, Sopore. The injured was shifted to District Hospital Baramulla for treatment.

He has been referred to Bone and Joints Hospital, Srinagar, for further treatment. A case has been registered.

Two trucks (JK03C/3701 and JK01Q/9160) collided at Vessu Kulgam in the jurisdiction of police station Qazigund, resulting in injuries to three persons. The injured were shifted to District Hospital, Anantnag, for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

Kupwara, August 8
Lolab valley in Kupwara district might be known for its overwhelming water resources, but the inhabitants here are suffering because of the shortage of potable water due to the alleged apathy of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.

People from Sogam, Darpora, Lalpora, Muqam, Maidanpora, Wavoora and Charkote in Lolab have complained of “severe shortage” of drinking water, forcing them to depend on small rivulets for the life nourishing fluid.

“In the absence of potable water, we are forced to walk miles to fetch water from open nullahs. The consumption of contaminated water has led to the outbreak of diseases like cholera and gastroenteritis in our villages, but authorities are doing nothing to address the issue,” complained Mehbooba Akther from Maidanpora.

The locals alleged that their taps area running dry since last couple of weeks and despite their repeated pleas, the PHE division in the area has failed to restore the water supply.

They threatened to lodge protest against the department, if the supply was not restored at the earliest. “We will be forced to launch protest against PHE department, if they do not restore the supply or provide tanker service on daily basis.

“We are dying for a drop of water and the department is watching the situation as a mute spectator,” Mohd Amin from Darpora said.

The locals demanded that round-the-clock tanker service should be provided to them till the water supply is restored to the normal.

“The department should press water tankers into service round-the-clock to address the shortage. Even on the occasion of Eid we are deprived of the basic facility” added Zahoor Ahmad from Charkote Lolab. The PHE department has, meanwhile, attributed the shortage to a long dry spell in the area.

“The shortage of water is due to long dry spell,” a senior PHE official from Kupwara division said.

He added that the department will press in water tankers to provide some relief to the villagers.

In the absence of potable water, we are forced to walk miles to fetch water from open nullahs. The consumption of contaminated water has led to the outbreak of diseases like cholera and gastroenteritis in our villages, but authorities are doing nothing to address the issue
—Mehbooba Akther, a local