Jammu, August 30
To give the Tawi a new lease of life, the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) will soon start a detailed study of the river basin. The aim is the conservation of the river and to come out with measures to save it for the future generations. The NIH is conducting research across the country under the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to save the rivers and water bodies from environmental degradation.

Officials said this will also help generate comprehensive hydro-meteorological data base of Tawi basin and rainfall-run off model under the changing land use and climate change scenario. The river which originates from Kali Kund glacier in Bhaderwah area of Doda district will help the government in planning for the Jammu city, impact of the river on the day-to-day life of the people, environment and measures required for its conservation.

The river has been reduced to a mere outlet for drains from various habitations on its banks. “An extensive study on the behaviour of the river which will go a long way in helping the government to take further steps for its proper conservation will be conducted soon,” Minister for PHE and Flood Control, Sham Lal, said. The river transverses through and divides Jammu city in two parts. The old Jammu town is located on the hill overlooking the river. The new town is across the river but untreated sewage pollutes the Tawi as it passes through the city.

An artificial lake is also being constructed to divert water for the irrigation purposes. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, had approved the design of the project. Experts from Pakistan had also inspected the project. The reservoir will lift 700 cusecs of water from the Tawi to recharge the Ranbir Canal to irrigate 8,000-kanal land.

Jammu, August 30
In an exemplary initiative, Jandrah panchayat of the Dansal block has passed a resolution to turn the village into an “absolute Green panchayat” of the state. The village gram sabha has approved the resolution moved by Sarpanch, Anil Sharma.

In the resolution, the panchayat has pledged to grow more and more trees in the panchayat and ensure strict implementation of the forest laws.

In a statement, Sarpanch Anil Sharma has said saplings will be planted at every available space in the village like schools, colleges, government land and waste land and even at private land with the consent of the owners.

He said the panchayat with the support of the department of Horticulture and Social Forestry had successfully distributed and planted over 12,000 saplings of fruits etc over the past one month. The saplings were distributed during awareness camps organised by the Department of Horticulture in the first phase.

“In the panchayat, every individual is being encouraged to contribute to achieve the goal of making the entire panchayat area green by way of donations in shape of labour, providing space for planting saplings, adopting trees, becoming volunteers to plant trees or watering or by any other means,” Anil said.

He said the government and private educational institutions would also be encouraged to work towards achieving the goal.

The total population of the villages falling under the panchayat is over 3,000 and the target is to plant at least 30,000 trees in a year.

The panchayat representatives also thanked the Regional Director of the Department of Social Forestry, Director Horticulture Department, Ranger (Jandrah), Forest Department and officers of the Department of Rural Development especially the Block Development Officer (BDO) Dansal for their support to help the panchayat to meet its green target.

The forest department has demarcated 15 hectare and planted over 7,000 saplings of different varieties and erected a boundary.

Jammu, August 30
Development works at Panchayat level in all blocks of Kathua came to a halt today as the employees of the Department of Rural Development intensified their ongoing stir in protest against the failure of the police to arrest a local Sarpanch. The Sarpanch had allegedly manhandled a Multi Purpose Worker (MPW) on August 24.

Around 350 employees of the Development of Rural Development in eight blocks of the Kathua district stopped work and held block-level demonstrations.

They demanded immediate arrest of Dilip Kumar, Sarpanch, Panchayat Halqa Chak Desa Singh, for allegedly manhandling a MPW and snatching the official record from the office of Block Development Officer (BDO) Kathua in a fit of rage after the officials didn’t release the payments for the development works carried out in his panchayat area.

Kumar was evading his arrest. He is believed to be a close aide of a senior politician of the district. Yesterday, the employees of the department in five blocks had suspended work in protest against the incident and threatened to continue their agitation till the arrest of the Sarpanch and the official record which was taken away by the Sarpanch from BDO Kathua was retrieved.

“Employees in eight blocks of the district observed complete strike today and will continue it till the arrest of the Sarpanch and recovery of the official record which was still in his possession. The employees held demonstrations at their respective blocks and will join us in town tomorrow. All development works at the Panchayat level were also affected due to the strike,” OD Atri, district president, All J&K Village Level Workers Association, said.

Atri said the strike launched by the employees entered fifth consecutive day today in Kathua town and they were also getting “overwhelming support” from other districts. “The employees of the department may also start strike in Udhampur district if the police didn’t arrest the accused,” he said.

On August 24, Dilip Kumar had allegedly snatched official record from the office of BDO Kathua and manhandled a MPW after the officials didn’t release payments for the development works carried out in his Panchayat. The police had registered a case against the Sarpanch for the theft of government record and preventing public servant from performing official duty.

Jitendra Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, said the police was conducting searches to arrest the Sarpanch. “Necessary action under the law will be taken against the Sarpanch,” Singh said. He refuted allegations that he (Sarpanch) was being shielded because of his political connections.

The Deputy Commissioner said he had met the agitating employees of the department and assured them that necessary action would be initiated in this regard. “We are hopeful that they would call off their strike soon,” Singh said.

He said the district administration had decided to hold separate meetings with Block Development Officers and elected Panchayat members to ensure that such incidents were prevented in the future.

Earlier, Sarpanches of the Kathua block, had on July 3, accused a senior officer of district administration of “hackling” a Panchayat member when he had visited his office to make a complaint about a local issue.

Jammu, August 30
The Jammu Heritage Society (JHS) yesterday organised a function to celebrate the completion of three years of its service for the cause of heritage, culture and art in the state.

The chief guest, Minister for Housing and Culture Raman Bhalla said the government was making efforts to restore the pristine glory of all the historical sites. "The government has identified 29 historical sites of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions for preservation and conservation. For this purpose, stress is being laid on restoration of all heritage sites of the state to their original form by adopting scientific methods and involvement of highly skilled and expert manpower," the minister said.

He said the detailed project report for their renovation had been prepared by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and submitted to the Central government for funding.

Doda, August 30
The management of Dulhasti Power Station of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has cautioned the residents of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban districts, especially residents of Benzwar, Cherhar, Bhanderkoot, Hasti, Kandni, Thathri, Premnagar and Pul Doda. The residents have been asked not to move near the Chenab between August 31 and September 1 as the gates of Dulhasti Power Station Dam will be opened to clean the reservoir.

During this period, the water level may rise temporarily up to two to three metres.

Therefore those living near the Chenab downstream have been cautioned not to go near the river or take their cattle, trucks, tippers near it to prevent any accident.

The residents have been requested to cooperate for their own safety. Anybody violating the request will do so at his or her own risk and responsibility and the NHPC or the management of the Dulhasti power station will not be responsible for the consequences.

Jammu, August 30
The Police Lines crossing has become dangerous for drivers as at times there no traffic police personnel are present here. There are several more crossings in the city which are dangerous for the commuters.

The crossing was opened on May 26 when the Chief Minister inaugurated the fourth bridge on the Tawi and since then vehicles move through this crossing at great risk. The crossing has become dangerous for commuters as no traffic lights have been installed by the authorities here and also the traffic policemen stationed there are no where to be seen.

After school hours, vehicles rush on this road increases which sometimes leads to traffic jams.

Work on the Vikram Chowk-Satwari flyover has also narrowed the road and opening of this Police Line crossing near Hotel Asia is becoming dangerous with each passing day.

“This crossing is a threat to lives of people plying on the Vikram chowk-Satwari road. If the traffic department wants to make this crossing a permanent affair, why don’t they install traffic lights and station few traffic cops there,” said Anil Sharma, a government employee.

SSP, Traffic, Jammu, Manmohan Singh, admitted that the crossing was becoming a dangerous turn.

“Yes, this is becoming dangerous turn but we are waiting for a team of the company from New Delhi to study this place and install traffic lights. Till then we have stationed three traffic cops there,” he said.

However, these traffic policemen are not visible here.

Batote, August 30
The Forest Protection Force (FPF) guards seized 35 kg of Nagchhatri, a banned herb, while it was being smuggled from the Marmat forests of Doda district to Amritsar in a van. The driver- cum-owner of the van was arrested at Hud Humbal on Khileni -Goha link road in Doda last evening.

The herb, known for its aphrodisiac effect, was being smuggled from the jungles of Goha after procuring it from the local residents at Rs 1,400 per kg to be sold at Amritsar for Rs 3,200 per kg.

The accused driver, Aftab Ahmed, was arrested and his van was impounded. Inspector Kartar Singh led the FPF team under the supervision of Deputy Director, Gama Unit, FPF, Jarnail Singh Billoria. The accused was presented in the court of Executive Magistrate, first class, Batote today.

Jammu, August 30
The state is fast emerging as the smoking capital of north India by remaining at the first place in second-hand smoke exposure. About 68 per cent of the state's population is exposed to smoking as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2010. The state even beats the densely populated Delhi in this regard.

Muhammad Altaf Dar, district coordinator, Voluntary Health Association of India, said J&K’s monthly expenditure on tobacco far outstrips the national monthly expenditure average. While nationally, smokers aged 15 and above spend Rs 399.20 a month on cigarettes and Rs 93.40 on bidis, those in the state spend Rs 513.60 and Rs 134.20, respectively, on these tobacco products.

“Bidi expenditure in J&K is thus 1.5 times of the country’s average. Consequently, health hazards due to passive smoking are also more in J&K than elsewhere in the North,” he said.

In order to make public places smoke-free in Jammu district, a monitoring committee on the enforcement of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, had been formed.

Dar said a meeting with the members of the committee was held in October last year and various decisions were taken on issues such as awareness, enforcement, formation of a special checking squad, printing of challan books/signage boards, monitoring and reporting system.

However, he said there were still some gaps as the law had not been enforced properly and coordination among various stakeholders was lacking.

Jammu, August 30
The Jammu Municipal Corporation organised an awareness camp for bakery shop owners here today. They were asked to ensure hygiene of their shops and good quality of bakery items.

The camp was organised in the office of Jammu Municipal Corporation Health officer Dr Vinod Sharma in which many bakery shop owners were invited. They were asked to register and apply for licences under the FSS Act, 2006.

“They were directed to wear masks, aprons, caps, gloves etc while preparing bakery items. The shopkeepers were asked to replace polythene bags with biodegradable bags,” Dr Sharma said.

“People should either bring their own biodegradable bags or pay for them at the shops to check the menace of polythene bags,” he said.

The Health Officer and a team of Food Safety Officers, Assistant Sanitation Officers, Sanitary Inspectors and other field staff conducted a tour in the city to check the quality of commonly used food items.

The Jammu Municipal Corporation team raided various food establishments. A fine of Rs 4,900 was realised from defaulters and about 5 kg polythene was seized.

Jammu, August 30
The Panun Kashmir (PK) today alleged that the state government was not interested in passing the Temples and Shrine Bill in the Legislative Assembly as there was pressure from the land mafia as they had usurped land belonging to religious places in the Valley.

Addressing a press conference, PK president Ashwani Kumar Chrangoo said temples and shrines were symbols of religious and cultural beliefs of the Hindu community of Kashmir.

"They represent more than 5,000 years of cultural ethos of Hindus in the Valley. Today this heritage is at stake. Temples are being razed down, their lands are being taken over and the land mafia is grabbing the symbols of our religion and ethos," he said.

Chrangoo said many ancient shrines were suffering due to the lack of care and maintenance but the government was not showing any eagerness to pass the Bill, which could ensure safety of these sites.

He said the government itself had also accepted the dire state of affairs of religious sites in the objectives of 'The Jammu and Kashmir Shrines and Religious Places of Kashmiri Hindus Bill', which was lying before the State Assembly.

"Most of the Kashmiri Hindu religious places have become havens of greed. This is a threat to the existence of these places. Moreover, funds and revenue-generating assets attached these are also being misused, which is leaving no scope for their utilisation to meet the development needs of these places," Chrangoo said.

The PK stated that the temples and shrines and other places of reverence in Kashmir were the heritage of the Hindu society. "They are, for all practical purposes, a single unit of our cultural and religious spectrum. Any attempt to break their cohesiveness will be resisted and defeated," Chrangoo said.

Chrangoo extended support to Pandit Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust which spearheaded the campaign for the enactment of the shrines and temples Bill.

Rajouri, August 30
Under Operation Sadbhavana, furniture items were distributed to schools located in far-flung areas of the Kalakote region by the Rashtriya Rifles,Kalakote, under the aegis of the Reasi-based Rashtriya Rifles headquarters.

The aim of the project is to uplift the standards of education and to provide facilities to people in remote areas of Kalakote. The project was initiated on the request of village heads, teaching staff of schools and other prominent citizens of the area.

The move will help in improving the standard of classrooms.

A total of 26 desks and benches were provided to government schools of Sujali Gala and Lambi Bari of Rajouri district.

Headmasters of these schools expressed their gratitude to the Army and said with the availability of desks and benches, students would get a better environment for studies. Students, too, expressed excitement over the furniture items in their schools.

Alamddin, sarpanch, Treru, said government officials seldom visited the village due to inaccessibility of roads.

He lauded the efforts of the Army in extending a helping hand to the people of the state.

The event was attended by officers of the Rashtriya Rifles, Kalakote, sarpanches of Mathyani, Panglar and Treru and other prominent officials of Sujali Gala and Lambi Bari areas.

Reasi, August 30
As a token of respect to the great Indian Olympian popularly known as Hockey Wizard Major Dhyan Chand, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), Katra, organised a quiz competition in which six teams of various institutions and clubs participated.

In the competition, the Govt Higher Secondary School, Panthal, team bagged the first position, the Higher Secondary School, Reasi, team stood second while the Royal Fencing Club team stood third. The quiz was conducted by Ranjeet Singh, PEM, GHS, Katra; Vikrant Singh, PET, MS, Kundrorian; and Ajay Kumar, PET, Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSSO)Office, Reasi.

The trophies in fencing were won by the Amba Kids team, Panthal, in women's category and the Royal Fencing Club in the boys' category.

Rashpal Singh, deputy CEO, SMVDSB, Katra, was the chief guest on the occasion while Rajinder Singh, OSD, SMVDSB, Katra and Dr SS Chib, DYSSO, Reasi, and president of Hostel Association Katra were the guests of honor on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Rashpal singh said the SMVDSB would soon construct a stadium with modern facilities to give a boost to sports in the holy town of Katra and its adjoining areas.

Jammu, August 30
As part of the Sadhbhawana fortnight celebrations, the NSS unit of Government College for Women (GCW), Gandhi Nagar, organised a rally on peace and communal harmony here today.

College principal Dr Kiran Bakshi flagged off the rally by releasing balloons as a message of peace and communal harmony.

In her address on the occasion, she said the message of universal brotherhood was the need of the hour as this alone could be a foundation stone for the progress of a nation.

The rally saw NSS volunteers, NSS programme offiers Dr Shiveta Gandotra, Prof Shrotika Rajput and Dr Ashaq Malik and other staff members of the college raising slogans on peace in the college campus and its vicinity in Gandhi Nagar.

The unit has organised a series of activities such as poster-making, essay-writing and slogan-writing competitions since August 20 to promote tolerance and non-violence. The program is slated to conclude on Teachers' Day.

Jammu, August 30
The brochure of Career Points (CP) national-level scholarship test CPSTAR 2013-14 was launched at Jammu Centre.

Centre director BJ Singh said the CPSTAR was a platform for deserving students to judge their performance at the national level to earn scholarships and awards for shaping their career at the right time.

He added that this test would be held in two different rounds wherein students of class VI to XII were eligible to participate in this scholarship test.

He said the top rankers in different rounds could get free coaching. Another director Sunil Dutt said this was a golden chance for intelligent, hardworking, but financially weak students to get full financial support and achieve the goal under the supervision of highly qualified and experienced faculty team. This paper will be held at 349 centres across the country.