Ashim (Bandipora), September 25
The intervening night of September 6 and 7 was disastrous for the whole of Srinagar. The usually calm and peaceful Jhelum was behaving abnormally. When many residents of the city went to sleep, it started to spill out the excess water.

The entries in the register maintained by the authorities concerned for recording flood readings of the three gauge points explained how the Jhelum behaved before and after the unprecedented flooding witnessed in Srinagar city on September 7.

The entries in the register, maintained by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of J&K at the Shim Gauge Point in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district before Jhelum flows into Wular Lake, and accessed by The Tribune, reveal that for 29 hours since September 7 morning, the Jhelum maintained its level for nearly 29 hours.

Interestingly, the highest recorded gauge level at Ashim in Jhelum did not cross the level recorded during the 1992 flooding when south of Srinagar, including Bemina area, was inundated by the floodwaters.

This reveals that after Jhelum and the flood channel breached its embankments in Srinagar city on September 7 morning, most of the floodwaters from these water bodies had diverted to the residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas of the city.

The other two gauge readings on the Jhelum at Sangam in Anantnag and Ram Munshi Bagh were washed out by the high rising floodwaters of the river on September 7.

In 1992, the highest level recorded at flood gauge in Ashim was 19.60, whereas during the recent unprecedented flooding, the highest level recorded at flood gauge in Jhelum at the same spot was 18.33 at 5pm on September 8, 2014, which continued for the next 29 hours and started receding only on September 9, the next day 9 pm onwards.

This also provides clues why water was not receding in the flooded Srinagar city for almost two days.

According to the entries in the register at Ashim, a flood red alert in the area was declared on September 4 at 6pm when the water levels in Jhelum crossed the safe zone and entered the danger mark of 14 feet. The water levels in Jhelum re-entered into the safe zone only after a week on September 16 at around 4 am when it was recorded at 13.91 feet.

It was only after September 16 that the water levels in the Jhelum started receding considerably and continuously which had reached 8.08 feet on September 24 at 9 am.

Besides, the register maintained for daily readings of discharge in the Jhelum at Ashim reveals that in the 24-hour span, the rainwater in the Jhelum is receding by 10 inches.

Khazir Mohammd Khan, senior gauge reader at Ashim, who has been on duty for almost 20 hours daily since read alert was declared in the area, pointed out that the rate of receding of rainwater has slowed since barrage was constructed in Tulibal side of the Wular Lake.

“Before the embankments were strengthened along the Wular Lake and outgoing of Wular near Tulibal in Sopore decreased from natural 300 metres to 30 metres, the discharge from the lake has slowed,” Khazir Mohammad pointed out while showing the data entries in the daily register to further explain his point.

This barrage may also be a reason as to why it took so many days for the floodwaters to recede, he pointed out while also sounding a word of caution. 

Jammu, September 25
The Haj and Auqaf Department of Jammu and Kashmir have converted the Haj House in Jammu into a hotel and are earning from the building. The main purpose of serving Haj pilgrims is restricted to a few days.

The Haj House was constructed near the Jammu Tawi railway station during the tenure of Ghulam Nabi Azad as Chief Minister with the purpose of serving intending Haj pilgrims of the Jammu region and provide stay to those coming from outside.

Sources in the department said being close to the railway station, pilgrims who had to board trains stayed in the Haj House in Jammu.

“There is no concession for Muslim guests as the authorities are busy earning money. The main purpose of the department should have been to facilitate those coming from remote areas and other states and provide stay at reasonable rates,” sources said.

Unlike the Haj House in Srinagar, where all Haj-related documentation and other work was being done, the Haj House in Jammu was a money-minting machine for the authorities.

“Haj pilgrims of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts stay for a night in the Haj House in Jammu and move to Srinagar to board flight for Saudi Arabia,” said Muhammad Yaqoob, manager Haj House in Jammu.

“During other days, the Haj House is being used as a hotel and anybody can come and stay by paying rent. Muslims from Delhi, Gujarat and within the state come and stay. Other pilgrims come here as well,” he added.

Haj pilgrims from other districts of Jammu region like Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar proceeded directly to Srinagar.

Dessa, (Doda), September 25
Centuries-old traditional watermills, locally known as ‘gharats’, had played a great role in the lives of people. With the advent of technology, the ‘gharats’ have been a neglected lot.

Faced with an onslaught of modernity, the nature-friendly watermills are fast disappearing from the landscape.

Working in a ‘gharat’ from more than six decades, 80-year-old Abdul Gani, a resident of Dugaddah, Dessa of Doda district, said: “ Youth don’t want to continue this profession because of very low profit.”

“It’s time-consuming, requires hard work and brings in minimum profit. I am living along with my ailing wife in this ‘gharat’ since decades, but now, we don’t even have money for the treatment,” Gani said.

“The situation got worse when the state government started giving flour to ration card holders instead of wheat and maize. Now, we hardly have any costumer in gharats” he added.

“We are on the verge of starvation and have been asking the government to provide us some sort of help or old-age pension,” said Gani.

Another gharat-owner of Sheinkly village Hans Raj Singh said: “Traditional watermills do not pollute the environment, nor do they require electricity or fuel.”

“The quality of the flour ground in watermills is far superior to the flour ground in flour mills and that is why people from far-flung areas bring their grains to watermills. We want the government to encourage us in preserving our culture” he added.

Seventy-year-old sarpanch of Sheinkly village Ram Singh said, “It’s unfortunate that watermills have started disappearing at a fast pace in recent years not only in villages but in several other parts of the district as well.”

Srinagar, September 25
The security forces busted a militant hideout in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in the operation, a defence spokesman said today.

"The Army and the J&K Police yesterday busted a terrorist hideout in Kralsangar forest in Handwara area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition," the spokesman said.

The security forces conducted a search operation during which three AK rifles, several RPG and UBGL rounds, Chinese grenades, AK ammunition and IED circuits were recovered, he said.

"The Army is vigilant to foil any attempts by terrorists to instigate unrest in the region," he added. —PTI

Srinagar/Jammu, Sept 25
“Hello, I am calling from... please cancel my booking at the hotel.” Such calls are being received by hoteliers in Jammu and Kashmir from customers across the country.

Floods have wreaked havoc in the state and impacted the tourism industry as well.

The tourism industry has suffered both infrastructural and economic losses due to the floods. Almost all tourism-related activity has stopped, with hotels presenting a deserted look. In the summer capital of the state, Srinagar, most of the hotels and lodges have been damaged by the floods.

The water level in the Dal Lake rose recently and inundated most of its surrounding areas, including the Boulevard road, where hundreds of hotel and lodges are located.

Besides, hotels, lodges and guest houses near the banks of the Jhelum and in the posh colonies of Raj Bagh, Jawahar Nagar, commercial hub Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Tourist Reception Centre and MA Road were submerged in the floodwaters.

Some of the famous hotels in Srinagar, Grand Mumtaz, Ahdoos and Broadway, were also inundated and have suffered huge losses to infrastructure and economy.

The biggest issue for hoteliers in Srinagar city at present is cancellation of bookings.

They don’t see any hope of attracting tourists in the near future.

“We have faced huge infrastructural loss which we will try to overcome in the coming days. But the biggest worry is that tourists from outside are in no mood to head to Srinagar anymore. It may take us six months to one year to convince them to come back to the Valley,” said Mushtaq Chaya, owner of Grand Mumtaz hotel.

“In the absence of tourists, it will be difficult to cope as we have to pay our staff and spend on repair and maintenance,” he said.

An unofficial figure says there are around 2,000 hotels in Srinagar with a capacity of around 16,000 beds. The state government believes that the losses incurred by the tourism industry due to the floods are around Rs 150 crore.

“Of the 16,000-bedded accommodations available, around 9,000 are safe and we are on the job to revive the industry in a month or so,” said state Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir.

“As per preliminary information, it looks like the loss would be around Rs 150 crore. The damage has occurred mainly to the hotels on the banks of the Dal Lake and the Jhelum and Verinag, Kokernag and a few other areas in Anantnag district,” said Talat Parvez, Director, Tourism, Kashmir.

Though the other famous tourist destinations Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yusmarg and Achabal in the Valley have not been hit by the floods, no tourists are visiting the places as well.

Rs 2,000 cr loss to Kashmir tourism’

We have faced huge infrastructural loss which we will try to overcome in the coming days. But the biggest worry is that tourists from outside are in no mood to head to Srinagar anymore. It may take us six months to one year to convince them to come back to the Valley. The overall loss to tourism in the Valley could be around Rs 2,000 crore.~ — Mushtaq Chaya, owner of Grand Mumtaz hotel

Jammu, September 25
Members of two families of Poonch had battled AK-47-wielding militants, including foreign mercenaries, during ‘Operation Sarp Vinash’ in the remote Hill Kaka village in 2003.

On September 4 this year, five members of the two families were killed in separate incidents of house collapse and landslide caused by incessant rain but no help has yet reached the distressed families.

The government has turned a Nelson''s eye towards their sufferings.

Hill Kaka, a hamlet dominated by nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals, was once a haven for militants. It is about 35 km from the Line of Control in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district.

Nisar Ahmed, who was a member of the village defence committee that took on militants during the much-publicised ‘Operation Sarp Vinash’ to flush out foreign mercenaries from Hill Kaka in 2003, lost two members of his family on September 4 when his house collapsed due to incessant rain.

Abdul Qayum had also fought well-equipped foreign mercenaries with his “outdated” .303 rifle in 2003.

He lost three members of his family when a landslide struck Hill Kaka on September 4 night.

The two families have have not received adequate help so far.

Operation Sarp Vinash was launched at Hill Kaka by security forces with the active involvement of locals to eliminate militants from the area. Over 350 militants reportedly stayed in the area at some point, making it the biggest militant hideout, south of the Pir Panjal range.

As Hill Kaka is situated on the other side of the Changh Nullah, the affected families may not get relief because their hamlet is inaccessible.

“We have not received adequate relief. How can I satisfy the needs of all affected families,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Surankote, Mohammad Afzal Mirza told The Tribune.

“Whatever relief material we have received, it has been disbursed among some of the affected families,” the SDM said, adding that the calamity has rendered nearly 300 families homeless. He said it was difficult to provide shelter to the homeless families due to non-availability of tents.

When asked about ex gratia to the Hill Haka families, the SDM said the matter was under process.

“Only on September 22, ex gratia was transferred to the Surankote treasury so we are in the process of sanctioning it to the affected families,” he said.

Meanwhile, it has been alleged that the relief and rehabilitation operation was confined only to the Kashmir valley, especially Srinagar city.

“The government should intensify the relief and rescue operation in all regions and sub-regions of Jammu and Kashmir provinces,” said Iqbal Qazmi, Peoples Democratic Party leader.

Qazmi alleged that the government had failed to provide relief to the affected families of Surankote. 

Jammu, September 25
The All J&K Departmental Casual/Need-Based/ITI Trained/Seasonal Workers United Front, Jammu province, today held a meeting and resolved to get their demands fulfilled.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Tanveer Hussain from the PHE Department. Other representatives of various departments also attended the meeting.

The members claimed that the state government has violated all norms and principles. “It is democratic policy that nobody in the government or private establishment can exploit the human force as bonded labour. But the J&K Government is exploiting the youth without paying dues for years or hiring on the contract basis for seasonal works,” a statement from the front said.

The front stated that the government has violated the principle of “equal work equal pay” and resolved that human labour should be based on “need-based minimum wages and equal work equal pay”.

The front demanded one regularisation policy for all casual labours/ITI trained/need-based/CP workers and seasonal workers.

Khanna-Chhurgal (Jammu), September 25
As many as seven houses were washed away and dozens damaged in far-flung villages of Khanna-Chhurgal around 35 km from Jammu, during the recent floods.

Victims lost hope of getting compensation as no official had visited the area yet. Landslides had damaged several villages and the threat was looming large over the mountainous villages.

Bihari Lal, a shopkeeper at Khanna village, was cleaning a portion of his house which had been covered with debris. He was unaware whether or not he could claim compensation from the administration.

“We lost everything that disastrous night. It is like starting again from scratch, but no one from the administration has come to see the damage,” he said.

“Some villagers are trying to approach the tehsildar to get compensation, but do not know whether or not they will get something. We need money to reach the tehsildar’s office,” he added.

Some villagers who approached the tehsildar’s office for compensation were asked to deposit photographs of damaged property with filled in forms for compensation at the patwari’s office.

The victims, who did not have money to feed their families, could not afford to complete the formalities as the process required money.

“It takes at least Rs 100 to go to the tehsildar’s office in Jammu. Photographers demand money to click damaged property as they have to come from Bajalta. The road to our village has been washed away,” said Jagan Nath.

“We are not expecting anything from the government. Neither the tehsildar nor the patwari has visited our damaged houses and fields,” he added.

Khanna-Churgal, comprising small villages like Mela, Pangal, Sandi-Ton, Bhandon and Tutein-di-Khui, are still filled with debris and silt.

Many link roads to the villages were washed away with the landslides, due to which the victims could not reach their damaged houses.

A village panch said more than seven houses were washed away and dozens of other houses badly damaged in the floods.

Srinagar, September 25
As the sun continues to play "hide and seek" in the flood-ravaged Srinagar, 40-year-old Sumeet Kaul, a resident of Jawahar Nagar locality, was today busy drying her wedding photo album, as only memories remain of what once used to be her dwelling.

As the water level in some of the worst-affected areas of the city continues to recede, many people were seen trying their best to salvage whatever is left in their house.

With water still dripping from the photo album, Sumeet while showing a picture of her house says, "Now only memories remain of what once used to be our abode. The floods have taken away everything we had. This house too has now become unsafe to live in."

Tightly packed in two layers of polythene and locked in a wardrobe, the photo album of Sumeet's wedding was the only item in her house that survived the fury of the devastating floods of September 7.

Having seen the worst days of militancy in Kashmir, Sumeet is one among a handful of Kashmiri Pandit families who decided against migration and stayed back in Kashmir when the armed insurgency started in late '80s.

"We never saw such a huge tragedy. My family is witness to some of the worst days in the Valley, but a tragedy of such a huge magnitude was unprecedented," she says.

"Having lost everything, our lives will never be the same again," she added.

Sumeet's husband Rajesh, who owned an electronic shop in Lal Chowk, the once bustling commercial hub of Srinagar, says his entire business was ruined by the floodwater as all the goods in his shop were destroyed.

"Nothing could be saved, we only saved our lives. After being trapped in the house and struggling for four days without food and water the locals saved us and now for the past 13 days we have been living in a gurdwara at Barzulla Bagat," Rajesh said.

Even as water continued to recede, several localities in Srinagar, including Raj Bagh and Jawahar Nagar, are still under several feet of water.

"This heap of rubble is what once used to be my three- storeyed house. My three kids were born in this house so were the kids of my brothers. I have spent my childhood in this house and my parents breathed their last in this house," said Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Jawahar Nagar.

"The structure can be rebuilt, but what about the memories that were associated with the house. Physical scars can heal but the scars on our memories will never heal," he said. — PTI

Srinagar, September 25
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) launched an extensive sanitation drive after the recent floods and disposed of around 1,400 animal carcasses in the past two weeks.

“With regard to removal of the animal carcasses in the past 15 days, over 1,400 large and small dead animals have been scientifically disposed of,” an SMC official said.

The official said in order to provide a cover of disinfectants in vulnerable areas, regular sprinkling of disinfectants through vehicle-mounted tankers, knapsacks and manual spraying has been carried out with focus on hospitals, public institutions and domestic habitations.

Meanwhile, Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora reviewed the status of city sanitation and cleanliness. He disclosed that during the past 24 hours, the civic body had lifted and disposed of 1,909 metric tonnes of waste material and garbage.

The minister claimed that the sanitation drive in Srinagar city was continuing round the clock and was being carried out by 3,000 employees.

Jora also toured various parts of the city to review the sanitation measures being taken and was accompanied by Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Satish Nehru and SMC Commissioner GN Qasba among others.

Srinagar, September 25
The 8x10 feet tent near the Hyderpora bridge on the Srinagar-Jammu bypass road has been home to the five-member family of Mohammad Farooq for the last fortnight.

All these days they would gaze at the skies and pray that it would not rain. On Wednesday evening what Farooq had feared happened. It rained.

Farooq shifted some of his belongings and kept it in his car parked on the highway. His family also took refuge in the car.

“As rain water tricked inside the tent, we shifted to our car parked on the highway. God has made us homeless and the showers continue to bring nightmares,” said Farooq, a resident of Tengpora in Srinagar which remained inundated for days together.

Like Farooq and his family, there are nearly 200 homeless families in Srinagar which are now housed in tents located in various areas of the city. All of them had a horrifying time on Wednesday night as it rained in Srinagar.

“Our tent is not waterproof. Our children and women got panicky when it rained. We had to tell them that everything would be fine and God who has taken everything from us, will give it back,” said another flood victim Ali Mohammad.

For these families, tents have become their home for now and they are being provided some relief material by local volunteers. “We now cook, eat and sleep in these tents,” said another homeless Srinagar resident. “Two or three families live in each tent,” he added.

Jammu, September 25
The exact number of people from twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, swept away by the floods to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is yet to be ascertained as there are conflicting reports about their whereabouts.

Although Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on September 19, had dismissed reports that some bodies had swept away to PoK, the authorities in Poonch and Rajouri have aired apprehension that some bodies might have crossed over to PoK during the devastating floods and incessant rain.

“It is believed that the bodies of six flood victims of Poonch have been swept away to PoK,” said Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Mohammad Hussain Malik.

He said all except the six bodies of flood victims had been recovered by the authorities and the process of granting ex gratia had started.

The Deputy Commissioner said some areas situated near to the Line of Control (LoC) had been badly affected by the flash floods so it was believed that some persons, who were missing, mighty have been swept away to the other side of the LoC.

Locals in Poonch said most of the missing persons had been swept away to PoK because the villages situated near to the LoC were worst-affected by the flash floods.

Meanwhile, the authorities have decided to immediately give ex gratia to the kin of those whose bodies have been recovered.

“We will try to get the procedure relaxed for those who are believed to have been swept away to PoK,” said the Deputy Commissioner.

Meanwhile, bodies of 15 people, who were travelling in the ill-fated bus carrying a marriage party and was washed away in the flash floods on September 4, are still missing.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Nowshera, Deepati did not rule out the possibility of some passengers having been swept away to PoK.

“We have sent a hotline message to the authorities in PoK in this regard,” she said and pointed out that the river in which the bus was washed away flows into PoK.

Quoting locals, the SDM said of the 67 passengers in the bus, bodies of 52 had been recovered.

Local BJP leader Ravinder Raina has said his party had decided to bring the matter to the notice of the Union Government so that the issue could be taken up with the Pakistani authorities to retrieve the bodies.

As per official figures of the J&K Connect Centre, established by the state government to trace the missing, 231 persons are still missing in the state.

“Of the total 465 complains of missing persons, the centre has traced 234 persons,” an official source said.

Chambgund (Kulgam), September 25
The flood water might have slowly receded from the parts of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, but the misery is far from over for the 25-year-old Shakeela and her three siblings, who lost their home in the recent calamity.

With the winter just a few days away, the battle for survival has just begun for Shakeela.

The landless Shakeela along with her siblings — Muzzaffar (14), Imtiyaz (13) and Aquib (12) — was living in a three-room hutment built under the centrally-sponsored Indra Awas Yojna at Chambgund village of Kulgam. But the house is now a part of the history.

The only remains of her house are the concrete shelves of a cupboard in her kitchen, the rest of the structure and its belongings have been washed away.

Shakeela’s parents died almost a decade ago, leaving her behind to take care of the family.

“The floods washed away our small house and we have been rendered homeless. We could not retrieve anything from our hutment,” said Shakeela.

“When my parents died, I was a kid. We were able to survive with the help of locals. We finally constructed our own house under the Indra Awas Yojna. But that house has now gone,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Shakeela’s brother Muzzaffar, a labourer, had been toiling hard to earn enough to manage the daily affairs.

“It will be a great struggle to come out of this shock,” Muzzaffar said.

The family, which is now staying at a relief centre, visits the area everyday to ensure that their miseries are taken note of by the officials.

“Though many houses have been damaged in the floods, locals are concerned about the welfare of this poor family. They (Shakeela and her brothers) stay close to their erstwhile home to ensure that the officials assessing the damages don’t miss their names,” said Mansoor Ahmad Wani, local. 

Pulwama, September 25
Eighteen days have passed since the floodwaters receded, but the government has failed to provide tents to the flood-affected people of Pulwama district, leaving them to spend their nights under the open sky or in temporary sheds.

Hundreds of houses have collapsed or developed cracks, making them unsafe for residential purpose.

The Revenue Department, in its assessment, has shown that 4,164 houses were completely damaged and 15,353 houses had suffered partial damage. A total of 36,953 structures which mostly included cowsheds and granaries were also damaged.

People of the worst-hit villages said the government had directed them not to enter their houses which had developed cracks. They alleged that the authorities had been demanding affidavit from the house owners for being responsible for entering into the damaged houses.

“We have been pushed into a trap as neither we are allowed to enter our houses which have developed cracks nor any tents have been provided to us,” said Farooq Ahmad Naikoo, a resident of Beighpora village, where 100 houses were completely damaged and 100 more partially damaged.

Flood-affected people alleged the assessment, being carried out by officials of the Revenue Department, was being done on hearsay.

“No assessment process was started in the area, particularly Gulzarpora village, where 52 houses have suffered 100 per cent damage and nearly 200 of the 300 houses are partially damaged,” said Deputy Commissioner (DC), Pulwama, Sajad Ahmad Khan.

He said they had sent requisition of tents and other material to the government six days ago but had not received anything so far.

The DC said he had directed all tehsildars to do a re-assessment so that no one remained without relief.

Anantnag, September 25
The Army has rescued more than 7,000 people from various flood-hit areas of south Kashmir. The worst-affected are Anantnag town and some villages of Kulgam district.

It has also provided relief, tented accommodation and medical facilities to the flood-affected in coordination with the civil administration in Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts.

“The aim of the Army’s rescue operations was to reach out to the flood-affected people,” said Brigadier Anmol Sood of the 1 Rashtriya Rifles, which operates in Anantnag, Pulwama and parts of Kulgam and Srinagar districts.

He said Anantnag was the worst-hit by the floods on September 4, with 6 to 8 feet of water due to the rising level of the Jhelum and its tributaries — Lidder, Bringi, Ranbiara and Vaishaw.

The Army officer said hardly any flood warnings were given in Anantnag and attempts to block the bunds did not work.

He said at least 50 columns of the Army had rescued over 4,000 people in various areas.

The rescued included 350 children, 180 patients, including 42 critical cases, six of them infants, he said.

The relief and rehabilitation process started from September 9 in coordination with the civil administration, self-help groups and students from the south campus of the University of Kashmir.

“There is no place where we haven’t gone and not a single person who has not been rescued,” said Brigadier Vinod Bhadu of the Rashtriya Rifles, Sector 2, at Wujur near 
Jawahar Tunnel.

In view of the heavy rain from September 2 to 7, many columns of troops were sent out to the flood-affected areas around Vishwa, Sangroo and Bringi nullahs in Kulgam district, Brigadier Bhadu said.

He said during the first night, over 2,000 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas.

“Those rescued were provided shelter and other facilities,” he said.

At least 1,200 people were rescued by the Army from the Dooru area of south Kashmir.

More than 10,000 people were provided medical facilities at 10 medical camps set up by the Army in the affected areas.

Srinagar, September 25
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. In an hour-long meeting, the Chief Minister briefed the Governor about the damage and destruction caused by the colossal floods in the state and the ongoing status of 
the relief, rescue, repair and restoration operations.

They also discussed the medium and long-term steps required to be taken for securing against such calamities in future. The Governor and the Chief Minister also discussed the ongoing dewatering, restoration of health care and sanitary conditions, road and telecommunication network and provision of basic necessities — TNS

Ramban, September 25
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a two year moratorium on the loan repayment for the flood-hit borrowers from Jammu and Kashmir.

Assistant General Manager, RBI, RB Gupta said this during a meeting of the district-level review committee chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, FA Shah Bukhari.

Besides, reviewing the routine banking matters, the committee also discussed the credit plan, including the means to contain growing non-performing assets. 

Pampore, September 25
Outside the relief base camp set up by the state government at the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute (JKEDI) here, Afroza (58) is waiting for a bag of rice since morning, but her wait, like her hunger, does not seem to come to an end.

Afroza, like many other women from different areas of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, was told to approach their respective deputy commissioner to seek any assistance, saying the government would not provide any relief to any one individually.

"My family is putting up on the roadside as my house is still submerged. We are dying of hunger. We have not been given anything. No blankets or food. We have knocked at every door, but to no avail," Afroza, a resident of Batamaloo area of the city, said.

"We met the DC and he gave us a letter, but these people here are not allowing us to get inside and take the relief," she said.

The state government set up the camp for receiving truckloads of relief from other parts of the country. Whatever comes to the Valley in the name of the flood relief is dumped here and then distributed to different areas on the basis of the need of the people in those areas.

"We set up this camp on September 17 and first we used to provide relief materials to anyone who had the recommendation from any official concerned of the district like a DC or a tehsildar or a station house officer of any police station or even local mosque committees. But as there was a huge rush of the people seeking relief, the government decided to streamline the process of its distribution and henceforth it will be distributed to the respective DCs only and then through tehsildars to the affected people," said GM Dar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, one of the officers who monitor the relief at the camp, said.

Dar said from today the relief was not being given to the people at the individual level or through any organisation. — PTI

Jammu, September 25
The PoJK Refugee Front has urged the state and the Union governments for providing comprehensive settlement package to the refugees uprooted due to Pak aggression in 1947 and Chhamb refugees of 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

The president of the front, Rachhpal Singh Chib, said the state government, time and again has neglected their genuine demands and has always befooled them. Chib said the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Home Affairs on July 30, 2013, has also recommended that demands of the refugees should be accepted.

For the one-time compensation for the PoJK displaced persons it must be taken into considerations that displaced persons of 1947 had faced extreme difficult situations after being uprooted from their native places occupied by Pakistan.

Jammu, September 25
To realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of “Swachh Bharat” (Clean India) by October 2, 2019, on the call given by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the University of Jammu today launched the “Swacch Jammu University Abhiyan”.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, said every individual dreams to have clean surroundings in order to make the stay comfortable and that it is the need of the hour to maintain cleanliness on a sustainable basis.

He said the mission of the campaign is to make collective and sustained effort to clean homes, workplaces, streets, roads, schools, colleges, universities and all other public places within our purview and keep them clean for all times to come.

He called for generating awareness about developing clean habits and keeping surroundings neat and clean. For this purpose he stressed upon making optimum use of the facilities created for ensuring clean surroundings.

He gave a clarion call against the use of polythene and hoped that the campus will become a symbol of “no-polythene zone”. In this context, he also referred to the initiative of “Polythene-free Campus” being launched soon in the university.

Earlier, Dr Renu Nanda, convener of the “Swacch Jammu University Abhiyan”, presented welcome address. Prof Pankaj K Srivastava, Dean, Students Welfare, presented formal vote of thanks.

Jammu, September 25
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Jammu Region, today launched a cleanliness drive, “Swachh Karyalaya Abhiyaan”, at its office in Gandhi Nagar here.

The launch of the drive took off with the cleaning of the ground area on the campus by AVLJ Rao, Deputy Commissioner, KVS, Regional Office, Jammu. AS Gill and DR Meena, Assistant Commissioners, and staff of the office accompanied him in the campaign.

Earlier, a meeting with the staff was held on the premises of the office wherein AS Gill discussed various aspects of the campaign on the office premises.

AVLJ Rao had an interactive session with the staff members. He said he would sweep the area on the campus to set a role model for the other officials working in Kendriya Vidyalayas under the KVS, Jammu region, where they are pursuing the “Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyaan”.

A plan was discussed and approved for the execution of the campaign in a phased way on the campus. During the coming days, the regional office of the KVS will give emphasis on the cleanliness of all the corners of the campus and add greenery to its parks to elevate the look of the campus.

Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country have launched the “Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyaan” today. All the staff members and students will participate in the campaign.

Jammu, September 25
The Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu, today organised classical dance (solo) and creative dance (solo) competitions on the ninth day of the ongoing “Display Your Talent” at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium on the campus.

In the classical dance (solo) competition, Monisha Mehra and Roopali Arora, both from Government College for Women (GCW), Gandhi Nagar, were adjudged first and second, respectively, whereas Raksha Godiya from the Institute of Music and Fine Arts bagged the third prize.

The certificate of merit was awarded to Heena Devi from the Institute of Music and Fine Arts.

The participants presented “Guru vandana”, “Ganesh vandana”, “Sarswati vandana” and “thumri” which received applause from the audience.

Anuradha Seth Kohli, Arti Mehta and VN Kolhi were the judges for the classical dance (solo) competition.

In the creative dance (solo) competition, Sipaj Jain and Nishtha Mahajan, students of GCW, Gandhi Nagar, bagged the first and second prize, respectively, whereas Kanika Sharma from the Kathua campus, University of Jammu, bagged the third prize.

The certificates of merit were awarded to Komal Rajput from GGM Science College, Jammu, and Pooja Raj and Saloni Verma from Government College for Women, Parade.

The themes of dances were “global warming”, “let me dance” “say no to drugs ”, “nari shakti”, “women empowerment”, “female foeticide” and “save environment”, etc.

Seema Rohmetra and Madhulika Bhagat were the teacher in charges for both events and apprised the participants of the rules and regulations of their respective events.

Randhir Kumar, Rakesh Konna and Poonam Honda were the judges for the creative dance (solo) competition.

Prof Pankaj Srivastava, Dean, Students Welfare, and Prof Parmeshwari Sharma, chairperson, Campus Cultural Committee, distributed the certificates among the participants.

Jammu, September 25
On the first day of Navratras thousands of people paid obeisance at the historic Bahu Fort temple, also called Bawe Wali Mata, and other temples today. From early morning people started visiting the shrine and offered prayers amidst the vedic chants.

Temple complexes have been decorated with flowers and lights for the nine-day-long festivities dedicated to different incarnations of Goddess Durga. Devotees from across the region thronged the shrines to pray for the well-being of their loved ones and the whole country.

Apart from the Bawe Wali Mata shrine, special prayers were held in the temples dedicated to Goddess Durga across the region with number of social and religious organisations putting up various food stalls.

The festival is also known for fasting and irrespective of age, devotees survive on fruits, curd, milk and dishes made of water chestnut flour. Meanwhile, restaurants across the city also do brisk business during the festival as Navratri thalis are very popular among the food lovers, fasting or not.

Katra, September 25
A Kalash yatra marked the beginning of the nine-day long Navratri festival here today.

The yatra started from the Asia Chowk and concluded at the Ragunath temple amid tight security arrangements.

Over 20,000 devotees paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi on the first day of the Navratras. Pilgrims making their way to the shrine were put through rigorous checking, considering the sensitive nature of the occasion and keeping the recent threats in mind.

“Additional troops have been deployed while all hoteliers and lodge owners have been asked to remain vigilant and maintain surveillance on suspicious elements,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Reasi, Vivek Gupta said.

The Navratri festival in particular assumes great significance for Jammu and Kashmir as large number of devotees throng to the Vaishno Devi shrine during the nine-day-long festival, giving a boost to the state’s economy. 

Jammu, September 25
The daughter of Director General of Police (DGP), J&K, K Rajender Kumar was today arrested after a government vehicle driven by her allegedly crushed to death a septuagenarian in the Rehari area of Jammu early today.

The deceased, identified as Inderjeet Padha, 70, a resident of Rajpura, Jammu, was a retired Health Department employee. His son is a lawyer.

According to a press statement issued by zonal police headquarters, Jammu zone, a SX4 car, bearing registration number JK02BA-4112, while on way to Balwinder Chowk from Sarwal hit Inderjeet Padha at about 7 am.

“The injured was immediately rushed to Government Medical College, where he was declared brought dead by doctors,” the statement said, adding that a case under Sections 279 (punishment for rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the RPC has been registered at the Pacca Danga police station.

The statement said a person, identified as Pooja, daughter of K Rajender Kumar, DGP, J&K, was arrested and the vehicle was also impounded. “The investigation has been initiated in the case,” it said.

According to eyewitnesses, Pooja, who was allegedly on driving seat, lost her control over the vehicle on a speed-breaker and hit the septuagenarian, who was on way to his home after morning walk early this morning.

Earlier in the day, dozens of pictures of the young girl on driver’s seat, captured by eyewitnesses on their mobile phones, went viral on social networking sites like WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, the victim was cremated after all legal formalities at the Shakti Nagar cremation ground.

Jammu, September 25
The All J&K Chess Association in association with the J&K Police will organise the J&K Police FIDE Rating Chess Tournament at MA Stadium, Jammu, from October 1 to 4.

Atul Kumar Gupta, president of the association, while briefing the media, said today that the last date for entry in the championship is September 30. The entry fee is to be submitted at Hotel Nek, below Gummat.

Atul added that it will be a great opportunity for the budding chess players of the state to match skills with their counterparts from 15 states across the country. “With that, the players can also get FIDE rating. The association has set a target of creating at least five International Masters within four-five years,” Atul maintained.

The tournament will be played as per FIDE laws of chess under the Swiss system wherein a total of nine rounds will be held. Further, there are special prizes of Rs 43,000 for players of J&K in different categories, besides special prizes for veterans and unrated players. More details can be obtained from sites www.alljkchess.com and www.aicf.in. Atul said, “It is just the start of big events in J&K and association is hoping that more bigger events will be conducted in the near future.” Baldev Raj and Rakesh Gupta, vice-presidents of the association, and Taranvir Singh Gujral, coordinator, were also present.

Katra, September 25
The 10th annual ‘Rustam-E-International Indian Style Dangal’ would be held on November 9, this was announced during a meeting of the Katra Indian Style Wrestling Association here today.

The event, which is generally held during the Navratra festival, has been postponed keeping in view the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of floods.

The championship is being jointly organised by the Katra Indian Style Wrestling Association in association with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the Department of Tourism since 1996.

The event was earlier scheduled to be held on September 28.

President of the J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association Shiv Kumar Sharma, who chaired the today’s meeting to chalk out new date for the competition, appealed to the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and chairman of the Navratra festival committee, Katra, Shantmanu to divert the funds earmarked for holding the international wrestling championship for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims.