|
|
|
|
|
Lack of maintenance renders passenger sheds useless
TALENT SHOW AT UNIVERSITY OF JAMMU
CBSE schools directed to adhere to rules
|
|
|
Lecture held against cruelty to animals
Central officer visits SKUAST to assess losses
Medical camp at old age home
Health sector in tatters, 5 hospitals completely destroyed by floods
on the frontline
20 days on, restoration work yet to be started
Trains in Kashmir resume operation to Banihal after floods
JKAP rescue hundreds, carry out relief operations during floods
Once blooming stretch, Srinagar-Anantnag road wrapped in gloom
Dal Lake tells tale of devastation after nature’s wrath
Karra wants mobile, Net connectivity back
Kupwara residents face shortage of cooking gas
After deluge, property rentals go beyond reach in Valley
Sonia, Rahul to arrive in Valley today
Court stays selection committees constituted by JKCA gen secy
Gunners celebrate 187th Raising Day
Man opens fire, four injured
1st batch of Haj pilgrims to return on Oct 11
From Pulwama to Srinagar to Baramulla, for Christian burial
Floods dampen Eid spirit
Dera Sacha Sauda starts relief work in flood-hit areas
Jagti residents donate for flood victims
Govt orders digging of roads to pump out water
JKPCC distributes relief material
Stink turns Srinagar into city of masks
Rentals go beyond reach in Srinagar
|
||||||||||||||
|
Lack of maintenance renders passenger sheds useless
Jammu, September 28 At several shelters, there is a huge growth of wild grass. Daily commuters, many of whom are using the public transport system to reach their offices, said without proper upkeep, passenger sheds were serving no purpose and their construction had been a sheer wastage of money. “These bus stops are not being utilised for the purpose they have been constructed for. The authorities should not have wasted money on constructing passenger sheds if these could not be maintained. These have become the favourite spot for fruit-sellers,” said Mukesh Gupta, a resident of Bajalta, on the outskirts of Jammu. “If there is an investigation on the construction of these bus stops, a huge scam could unearth as most of these have been constructed without any survey,” said Ashok Sharma, a social worker.
|
|
TALENT SHOW AT UNIVERSITY OF JAMMU Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 28 The MBS college team, comprising Ankit Antaal, Nikesh Sharma and Vicky Kumar, bagged the first position whereas the team from the Department of Geography, University of Jammu, including Tsering, Satvinder Kaur and Anshul Gupta, and the team of The School of Bio-Technology, University of Jammu, comprising Anuj Bandral, Yadav Kashyap and Rekha Chauhan, bagged the second and third positions, respectively. A total of 26 teams from the Post Graduate Department of University and its affiliated colleges participated in the preliminary round of the quiz and five teams qualified for the final round. The department also organised essay-writing and short story-writing competitions. The essay topics were “India as emerging in economic power-challenges and opportunities”, “e-Services” and “Women empowerment”. The topics for the Short Story Writing contest were “Flood”, “My Pain”, and “Garden”.
|
|
CBSE schools directed to adhere to rules
Jammu, September 28 KCS Mehta, president, Jammu Sahodaya Schools Complex (JSSC), a local body of CBSE schools, said, “All the affiliated schools have received this important circular from the CBSE, Delhi.” “Right now, there is no such complaint regarding violation of affiliation bylaws but we are keeping a close eye on schools and if any institution is found guilty, strict action will be taken against it,” he claimed. Sources said other violations of affiliation bylaws that had been reported were the charging of fees not commensurate with the facilities, discriminatory practices during admissions, failure to check corporal punishment, no facilities for differently abled students, no provision to address sexual harassment cases, non-availability of clean drinking water or lack of hygiene in washrooms etc. “It has also been reported that some schools are running coaching institutions within the school premises under the pretext of preparing students for entrance examinations. This is not approved by the CBSE and so, schools need to stop such malpractices immediately,” a CBSE statement claimed. “In case they do not adhere to the rules, action will be taken against them,” it read. The CBSE has also directed that the fees should be commensurate with the facilities provided by the institution. Further, it should be charged under the heads prescribed by the Department of School Education. The board warned that no capitation fee or voluntary donations for gaining admission in the school or for any other purpose should be charged/collected in the school’s name and the school should not subject the child or his parents or guardians to any screening procedure. “In case of such malpractices, the board may take drastic action leading to the disaffiliation of the school. Further, any school which violates the provisions is liable to be punishable with fine which may be up to ten times of the capitation fee charged,” another statement said. The CBSE affiliated schools have been clearly asked to ensure that they are running for community service and not for business. Violations reported
The move comes following reports that schools were not paying admissible allowances to staff. Other violations of affiliation bylaws that have been reported are the charging of fees not commensurate with the facilities, discriminatory practices during admissions, failure to check corporal punishment |
|
|
Lecture held against cruelty to animals
Jammu, September 28 The lecture was organised under the Star College Scheme. The resourceperson on the occasion was Malvika Kalra, founder member of “Rehai”, an initiative towards animal welfare. The speaker, in her address, gave a detailed account of cruelty meted out to animals. She stressed the need to stop the killing of animals for meat, fur and other products. The speaker motivated the audience to turn vegetarian, which she said would not only check atrocities to animals but also “uplift the health standards, as per research”.
|
|
|
Central officer visits SKUAST to assess losses
Jammu, September 28 Ayyapan, who is also Secretary, Department of Agriculture Education and Research (Ministry of Agriculture), was on a day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir to inspect the farm universities of the state. Pradeep K Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-J, accompanied Ayyappan to the flood-hit campuses at Chatha and RS Pura. The ICAR Director General visited laboratories, classrooms, libraries, student centre, experimental farms, hostels and administrative blocks to take note of the damages. Later, he chaired a meeting of university officials and heads of the divisions at Chatha. The Vice Chancellor briefed Ayyappan about the steps taken by the university to restore normalcy. Sharma said it had become difficult to carry out teaching and research work. He said the floods had caused an estimated loss of Rs 25 crore to the university.
|
|
|
Health sector in tatters, 5 hospitals completely destroyed by floods
Jammu, September 28 The overflowing Jhelum which inundated the summer capital on September 7, however, has completely destroyed the five major hospitals in Srinagar. Bone and Joint Hospital, Lalla Ded Hospital, Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, GB Pant Hospital and SKIMS Medical College and Hospital, Bemina, which remained inundated for more than a week, would take months to restore normalcy. Entire set of echo machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, CT scanners, x-ray machines, ultrasound equipment, power backup system, oxygen plants and blood banks have been destroyed in these hospital. “So far we haven’t got the figures of loss. Details are being gathered as several parts of the Valley remained cut off. In Srinagar, hospitals are destroyed. A report will be submitted to the Chief Secretary-led committee by the end of next week,” said Dr Saleem-Ur-Rehman, Director, Health, Kashmir. In the Jammu region, several areas in the mountainous district of Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Udhampur were wrecked by the landslides. “Luckily we have not lost any equipment, but some of the buildings need technical evaluation. In hilly areas, teams have been sent and a detailed report is being prepared,” said Dr GS Pathania, Director, Health, Jammu. It took decades for the militancy infested state to equip its hospitals with vital medical diagnostic machines, but flash floods have pushed the sector several years behind. Minister for Health and Medical Education Taj Mohiuddin said the Centre’s assistance would be required to rebuild the health sector. “A detailed report will be prepared by the end of this month which will be submitted to the Union Health Ministry,” Taj said. Diagnostic machines are important part of disease detection and in the absence of these machines it will be difficult to run hospitals in Srinagar, which cater to thousands of patients from across the Valley. Despite investing crores of rupees in developing the health infrastructure in the past decade, Jammu and Kashmir is still short of 1,757 health institutions, leaving lakhs of people from the ambit of health delivery system. The catastrophe would aggravate the problem. Against the total requirement of 4,747 health institutions, including district hospitals, community health centers, primary health centers and health sub-centers, the state has only 2,990 facilities, sources said. Left on sickbed
|
|
on the frontline The resilience of Kashmiris is to be seen to be believed. They term as “disaster of disasters” the recent floods that dislocated them, derailed their lives and left them at the mercy of fate. They had never imagined it even in the worst of their nightmares, but that did not dampen their spirits. A feeling of oneness is their biggest strength at this moment. That strangers sheltered the displaced and friends hosted friends and their families for days together is just a glimpse of what they have done or continue to do. Not only were they hosted and fed, but were given all other assistance, including financial, to cater to other needs of life. Where else does it happen in the world? One person after the other in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley has a narrative: how they were helped in times of distress by strangers, neighbours, friends and the youth who came from far and wide, bringing boats to rescue them, food to feed them and water to quench their thirst. Innovative people
The initial cry was for boats. When boats, as defined in the dictionary, were not to be found, Kashmiris redefined boats. They used their innovation and made boats of whatever they could lay their hands on, be it rubber drums, raw timber or anything else that could float on water. Once the marooned came out, the able-bodied among them joined rescue and relief efforts. In the gloom of muddy waters all around, they did not lose hope. Now, when waters have receded to a large extent, life is moving on. With migrant labourers having moved to the safety of their home states with stories of horror with them, the massive task of removing slush and cleaning markets and residential localities is being carried out by the residents. The common refrain is: “who else will do it, we will do it”. Working overtime
Amid all this, another post-flood fact is the way government employees, who are back to work, are working overtime. Power Development Department employees have erected electricity poles even past midnight in areas where water has receded or has been dewatered. Likewise, the water supply staff are trying to restore water supply. At places, protests for water and power have worked, but in some of the cases, the employees have shown extraordinary commitment to their duty on their own. Jammu employees working with “ move offices”, the government offices that move from winter capital Jammu to summer capital Srinagar on a biannual basis, who have lost all their belongings and many of whom have just survived, joined their duties. The hotels and guest houses where they were staying in the pre-deluge period were submerged and there was no accommodation for them. Still, they came and worked. Three or four employees are sharing one room. They are not having proper food, but feel that it is their duty to be with their brethren in Kashmir. Generous again
Jammu has a tradition of hospitality and generosity. Jammu hosted Kashmiris during the years of militancy. Kashmiri Pandits are still staying there. During the peak of militancy in the 1990s, employees from the Jammu region came and served in the Valley. When the locals, for obvious reasons, were not keen to hold critical positions, they manned those with immense risk to their lives. Some of them lost their lives, too. This time, too, they are back to help Kashmir come out of the crisis. The fundamentals of rebuilding society are in place. It is a time-consuming process, though. Seeing the way Kashmir is moving forward after the crisis, there is hope that it will show the rest of the world how to cope with a crisis of this magnitude. |
|
20 days on, restoration work yet to be started
Jammu, September 28 Khanna-Chhurgal, a hilly village on the outskirts of Jammu, is one of the worst affected villages in Jammu. Not only has infrastructure been damaged due to the floods, but agriculture has been affected in this village as well. According to villagers, about 300 hectares of agricultural land had been totally damaged. Bihari Lal, panch of upper Khanna-Chhurgal, said, “People in this village have not only lost shelter, but source of income as well. None except a team from the Agriculture Department has visited the village to assess the losses.” “About 300 hectare of land was washed away or damaged in the floods. Farms are filled with stones, silt and debris on account of the landslide,” he added. Khanna-Chhurgal, comprising two panchayats, has the population of about 7,000. Most of the people are farmers, but as the area is hilly, they cannot go in for multi-crop farming. Farmers of these villages produce maize, wheat and pulses. The agricultural land of Jagan Nath is filled with debris due to the landslide and all his wheat crop has been damaged. “It has become difficult to survive as my house has developed multiple cracks and farm is filled with debris. Compensation from the Agriculture Department is the only hope,” he said. The villagers are angry with the administration, which has not visited their village. A team from the Agriculture Department gave them hope to restart their agricultural activities. A four-member team headed by agriculture officer Sanjay Dar is assessing agricultural damage in these villages. The team is educating villagers about protecting their saved crop and reusing their land. “We are visiting farms damaged in the floods so that farmers can be compensated generously,” Dar said. “The main cause of the damage in these villages is a landslide. Farms are filled with silt and stones, which has affected soil fertility,” he added.
|
|
Trains in Kashmir resume operation to Banihal after floods
Srinagar, September 28 The train services were completely suspended on September 5 after the floods hit the Valley. However, on the first day of its operation today, the speed of the trains was reduced from 100 km per hour to 45 km per hour. “The Railways resumed its operation up to Banihal but we had to reduce the speed drastically due to the moisture in the soil under the rail track,” said a Railways official in Srinagar. He said the frequency of the train services had also been reduced for some time. “The trains would make 22 trips between Baramulla and Banihal before the floods but from today, the trips were reduced by 50 per cent,” he said. “The full operation of all trains would start soon,” he said. The trains resumed the operations after a trial run on the Banihal track on Saturday. The train services between Nowgam (Srinagar) and Baramulla resumed on September 15. The floods had damaged the railway track at various places. The worst-hit were the Awantipora-Panzgam and the Anantnag-Bijbehara railway stations. “Portions of the railway track between Awantipora-Panzgam and Anantnag-Bijbehara were washed away along with embankments of railway bridges, which were restored by engineers,” the official said.
|
|
JKAP rescue hundreds, carry out relief operations during floods
Srinagar, September 28 A senior police officer said the JKAP, under the supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Armed, SM Sahai, had “activated all its resources” to carry out rescue, relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected areas of the Valley. “During the initial period of the floods, Singhpora, Devar, Yakhmanpora and adjoining villages of Pattan and Baramulla had got submerged. However, the 20 Battalion headquarters of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) at Parihaspora in Pattan rose to the occasion,” the police officer said. The officer said the battalion “evacuated hundreds of people, including 30 children of an orphanage in Singhpora”. “All were rehabilitated and provided food and medical facilities at the Battalion Headquarters, Parihaspora,” he said. In Srinagar city, where many residential and commercial neighbourhoods were submerged, JKAP battalions took up rescue operations in the Panthachowk, Pandrethan, Shivpora, Rajbagh, Dalgate, Jawahar Nagar, Qamarwari and Bemina areas. The JKAP units also shifted hundreds of people to safer locations in the Krankshivan and Panzipora areas of north Kashmir’s Sopore town, the officer said. “The F Company of the 20 Battalion of the IRP camped in Shah Cinema (at Qamarwari) rescued scores of people. The company was itself submerged in the floodwaters and when a decision for its shifting was taken, residents resented the move and implored for their staying back,” the officer said. The armed police units also organised medical camps at Bemina, Tengpora, Awantipora, Nowgam, Rajbagh and Parihaspora. The units also conducted cleanliness drives at Lal Ded Hospital, GB Pant hospital, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Bemina, Rahat Manzil orphanage at Batamaloo, Deaf and Dumb school, Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Persons, Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital and Dental College, all located in Srinagar. “Being part of society and hailing from the same areas where flood had submerged their houses, these men out of sheer dedication and professionalism left their families at the mercy of God and responded to the call of duty and worked for the welfare of the people round the clock,” the officer said. The armed police units also loaded and unloaded relief material at the technical airport and the Nehru helipad in the city here. The JKAP units also rescued several senior functionaries of the state government, including Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal and Inspector General of Police AG Mir. “The process is still going on and will continue till all public importance institutions are made operational,” said ADGP SM Sahai.
|
|
Once blooming stretch, Srinagar-Anantnag road wrapped in gloom
Anantnag, September 28 As one leaves Srinagar, only dust and slush on the road greet at every stretch. There are no ripening paddy fields or the serenity of saffron fields, expected to add to the florescence in a couple of weeks from now. The floods have devastated the paddy crops, residential areas and dashed the hopes of the peasants ahead of the autumn. The saffron town of Pampore, 15 km from Srinagar, presents a devastated look as one enters the highway township of Pulwama district. The turbulent Jhelum had overflowed the highway and wreaked havoc, damaging houses and bringing down the weak structures. There are vast ponds of the floodwaters even after about two weeks since the flood fury. The traffic was restored along this stretch on last Sunday but it gives a gloomy picture. The shops selling saffron, dry fruits and special Pampori ‘sheermal’ (traditional flatbread) have downed muddy shutters, with mounds of slush and stinking garbage dumps outside. There are no tourist cabs shopping for special Kashmiri items and no tourists enjoying Kashmir ‘kehwa’ (traditional beverage) as used to be a practice at some of the shops along the highway. A couple of miles away from the township, the vast saffron fields are scantly dotted with men tilling their lands ahead of the blossoming season. “The rain has caused damage so double labour is required,” said a farmer on way to his field, hoping to get a good saffron produce this season. The saffron-selling shops in the nearby Lethpora locality are closed but the hoardings are reminiscent of the glory of the bustling market. Along the highway, there are umpteen scenes of people mopping road surfaces and shops, drying drenched merchandise and household items or towing away vehicles damaged by the floodwaters. Awantipora and Bijbehara towns and the Sangam market, known for producing willow bats, did not escape the flood fury either. The highway, which remained cut off for over two weeks due to the floods in this south Kashmir area and landslides on the other side of the Jawahar Tunnel, has been thrown open to traffic. However, it would be a long way for normal business and movement to restore, hit hard by the turbulence of the floodwaters, smashing the hopes and aspirations of people related to tourism, trade and business.
|
|
Dal Lake tells tale of devastation after nature’s wrath
Srinagar, September 28 Hundreds of tourists from all over the country and abroad would visit the Valley at this time of the year to enjoy its scenic beauty and Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, but the floods wreaked havoc with Srinagar. Not a single tourist is seen in Srinagar city. “It seems that our city has lost all glory and pride. The floods have left only devastation and misery behind, which the Dal Lake is also portraying,” said Sajjad Ahmad, a Shikara-owner, sitting at the Boulevard road on the banks of the Dal Lake near Nehru Park. When the summer capital became the worst victim of the floods, the Dal Lake also overflowed and inundated its adjoining areas, including hotels on its bank, with tourists fleeing the flood-ravaged Valley in a hurry. “What tourists have seen on the ground and then the coverage of the floods by media houses have sent shock waves outside and it may take a few months to get back tourists but till then we will have to suffer,” said another Shikara owner, Abdul Latief. The Dal Lake is the main source of tourism in Srinagar city which attracts tourists from all over the country and abroad as well. Besides, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, tourist spots in the Valley, are also running high and dry after the floods.
|
|
|
Karra wants mobile, Net connectivity back
Srinagar, September 28 He called on Ravi Shankar Prasad Sunday, seeking his personal intervention in the restoration of mobile and internet connectivity, which continued to be in a deplorable condition 21 days after the devastating floods hit Kashmir on September 7. “Karra said the collapse of mobile and internet connectivity, especially in Srinagar, was adding to the misery of the people, whose lives had been shattered by the ravaging floods,” a party spokesman said. Karra said the state-owned BSNL, which was the largest service provider in Kashmir, had failed to handle the challenge and was still struggling to restore inter-exchange and mobile connectivity. The MP said the Union minister assured him of perceptible improvement in connectivity during the next few days as the battery system of BSNL facilities in Kashmir, damaged by floods, was being replaced.
|
|
Kupwara residents face shortage of cooking gas
Kupwara, September 28 On Thursday, people were seen waiting for the cooking gas near Kupwara Deputy Commissioner’s office but most of them had to return empty handed as a truckload of LPG cylinders failed to cater to hundreds of consumers. “During the past 10 days I have visited the gas agency in Kupwara four times. On each visit I was told that the LPG cylinder will be available in a few days. In the absence of firewood and kerosene, LPG is the only means of cooking available,” said Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Gulgam village. Mohammad Afzal, an LPG distributor in Kupwara, said: “Due to the recent floods only three truckloads were sent to Kupwara during the past three weeks. We are expecting more supplies before October 3.”
|
|
After deluge, property rentals go beyond reach in Valley
Srinagar, September 28 “We cannot go back to our home as there are cracks in the walls and it can collapse anytime. Besides, the rates of rented accommodation have hit the roof and there are no shelter homes being provided by the government,” said Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of Mehjoor Nagar. Muhammad Iqbal, 43, on whose house a tree fell during the floods is finding it hard to get a room for his family of four as the rents are as high as Rs 15,000 for a three-room set. “We had a big house, but now we are on road. Finding a room has become difficult for us. We lost our business, our shelter everything. We can’t afford so much money,” he said, adding that the government has left people helpless. There is a need to rehabilitate the population of worst-hit areas of Srinagar and plan for long-term rehabilitation of the affected populace. Even after 20 days of floods, more than 40% of Srinagar city is still under water and residents are still ruing shortage of clean water, food, medicines and sanitation. People living in tents are left with no resources and they have no idea on how to begin their journey of rebuilding their homes. They say they have not been able even to find a rented room. “Our family has lost everything - our home and whatever was lying there. I cannot think of building the house I am only thinking of survival. We are not even able to find a rented room,” said Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Kursu, Rajbagh, Srinagar. With government agencies yet to complete the survey of damaged houses, there are no exact figures as to how many families have lost their homes. However, it is estimated that thousands of families in Srinagar are living without shelter.
|
|
Sonia, Rahul to arrive in Valley today
Srinagar, September 28 Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is already camping here following the devastating floods State Congress president Saifuddin Soz is camping here and supervising relief measures launched by the party for flood affected people. This will be the first visit of the Congress top brass to the state this year. They stayed away from campaigning, particularly in the Kashmir valley, during the last Lok Sabha elections. Sonia and Rahul will visit the state for the first time after the Congress and its coalition partner, the National Conference, decided not to have any pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections. During their interaction with flood-affected people, the Congress leaders are expected to disburse relief among them at various places. On their arrival in the capital, they are scheduled to visit the flood-hit Beerwah area of Budgam district in central Kashmir. At Awoora village in the Beerwah area, the Congress leaders will interact with flood-affected people of the area, which was hit hard by floods. The Congress leaders are scheduled to have interaction with flood-affected people at Wantapora in the Dooru area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir. After night stay in the summer capital, the Congress top brass will visit Surankote, Poonch and Udhampur in the Jammu region on Tuesday before returning to the national capital. |
|
Court stays selection committees constituted by JKCA gen secy
Jammu, September 28 The decision was made following a petition by JKCA joint secretary Sudershan Mehta and vice-chairman Rakesh Kumar claiming that “no such committees had been constituted by the working committee” during the election meeting of May 12. It was further submitted by the officer bearers of the Jammu wing that there was a directive by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, that appropriation of funds has to be backed by recorded decision of the body of office bearers elected on May 12. The petitioners, however, claimed that the general secretary without recording the decisions of the body of office bearers had been using the funds of the Association. They further submitted that the general secretary had acted in violation of the JKCA constitution. It is only the working committee which has the mandate under the constitution to form various sub-committees and no office bearer singlehandedly can usurp the powers of the working committee, the petition stated. Meanwhile, the office bearers of the Jammu wing have appealed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the shifting of matches from Jammu to Mohali. The office bearers of the Jammu wing have taken up the matter with the BCCI secretary. There is no question of shifting national matches scheduled to be held at Jammu to Mohali. The Jammu wing is fully equipped and prepared to host the national matches, a statement from the JKCA said. Sources in the JKCA said the BCCI was informed by the office bearers that the GGM Science College Hostel Ground at Jammu was ready to host the national matches. They said the BCCI was likely to send its observers within a few days to inspect the ground. “We have informed the players of different age groups to report at the GGM Science College Hostel Ground to participate in the ongoing selection process,” Rakesh Kumar told The Tribune. Petitioners’ claim
|
|
Gunners celebrate 187th Raising Day
Jammu, September 28 Lt Gen Hooda was addressing the Gunners on their 187th Raising Day, also known as Gunners Day, in Udhampur today. On Gunners Day today, Maj Gen SK Singh, Major General, Artillery, Northern Command, also called upon all Gunners to rededicate themselves to uphold the ethos and spirit enshrined in the motto of the Regiment of Artillery, ‘Sarvatra Izzat-O-Iqbal’ (Everywhere with honour and glory). Gunners Day is observed on September 28 to mark the raising of the first Indian artillery unit, 5 Bombay Mountain Battery, on this day in 1827. Ever since the concept of causing destruction to the enemy’s war machine from a standoff distance evolved in warfare, artillery has been a major battle winning arm and its importance continues in the modern day battlefield. The Regiment of Artillery has been part of all wars which India has fought since its independence.
|
|
Man opens fire, four injured
Jammu, September 28 The injured told the police that they were fencing a piece of land, located near Jammu-Pathankote national highway at Barwal Morh, when Shiv Charan Singh and his brother Tilak Raj reached there and abused them. Following the verbal spat, Shiv Charan opened fire at the brothers with his double barrel, injuring all the four. Kuldeep Singh was shifted to District Hospital, Kathua, while the rest were rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu The police said the accused escaped the spot and was still at large. A case under Section 307 has been registered against the accused in Kathua police station and a hunt has been launched to nab him, the police said.
|
||
|
1st batch of Haj pilgrims to return on Oct 11
Srinagar, September 28 This year, a total of 7,011 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir have left for Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage. Even as the first batch of pilgrims had left Srinagar on August 27, the future schedule of the pilgrimage had been disrupted due to floods, which the summer capital and other parts of the Valley. The Haj House at Bemina in Srinagar, where the pilgrims use to gather before embarking on the Haj, was also inundated by floodwater. After remaining suspended for over a couple of weeks, the Haj flights resumed on September 20. The pilgrims, however, were told to reach the Srinagar International Airport directly instead of gathering at the Haj House, which was affected by the floods. |
||
|
From Pulwama to Srinagar to Baramulla, for Christian burial
Baramulla, September 28 Antony was silent and not breathing. He did not respond to telephone calls, which included that of a relative who was staying with him. Antony was dead. The problem now was where to bury him as Pulwama did not have a Christian cemetery. His body could not be shifted to his hometown in Bihar due to financial constraints. They decided to shift the body to Srinagar for burial. But in Srinagar, the body could not be buried. Srinagar’s only Christian cemetery, on the banks of the Jhelum, that sank most of Srinagar on September 7, was still inundated. The century old cemetery in the heart of the city close to Lal Chowk had faced the brunt of floods and there was no land available to bury the painter from Bihar. The flood had washed away the fence of the cemetery. Even three weeks after the floods, many crosses are visible atop graves. The cemetery is filled with mud and slush. Antony’s friends later met the caretakers of Holy Family Catholic Church on Maulana Azad Road in Srinagar, who in turn got in touch with the principal of a prominent missionary school in north Kashmir and informed him about the non-availability of land for burial of the painter. “They told me that they would shift the body to Baramulla for burial,” said Father Sebestian Nagathunkal, principal of St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Baramulla. “We later dug a grave. The body was brought late Thursday and buried in the cemetery,” he said.
|
||
|
Floods dampen Eid spirit
Srinagar, September 28 “What Eid we will celebrate? We want the government to help us in rebuilding our lives. It is not a small thing as we have lost our houses as well as business,” said a shopkeeper at Court Road, Srinagar. After more than 20 days of the devastating floods, the City Centre is struggling hard to return to normalcy. The rush that the Lal Chowk would have witness ahead of Eid has turned into a gloom after the floods. Markets at Poloview, Saria Bala, Goni khan, Mahraja Bazar, Karan Nagar and Exhibition road also wore a deserted look. “I get depressed when I come to see Lal Chowk. Everything is haunting me here,” said Sameer Ahmad, a local youth, who has returned from Bangalore to see his family. The Valley’s commercial hub, Lal Chowk, has turned into a ghost city, with abandoned buildings and collapsed shops. “This time there won’t be any celebrations as it is more like a mourning. It will take us a lot of time to start everything from a scratch,” said Muhammad Ayub, who has lost his shop in the floods. Though at several places the water level has completely receded, shop owners said they could not start before the Eid as there were no stocks available with them. “It will take us more than 10 days after the Eid to open our shops. We have no stock and our shpos are in a shambles,” said a shopkeeper at the Exhibition Road. |
||
|
Dera Sacha Sauda starts relief work in flood-hit areas
Srinagar, September 28 “Relief material sent by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is being disbursed on a large scale with the aid of the Army along with the local administration. Dera Sacha Sauda’s Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force Wing’s volunteers are going from door-to-door in devastated villages distributing relief material,” Dr Aditya Insan, spokesman of Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa, Haryana, said. He said as many as 7,123 families had been provided relief material in different districts of the Valley. “Simultaneously, Shah Satnam Ji’s mobile hospital, Farishta, which has five dedicated teams of doctors and paramedical staff are going from one village to another checking people, distributing required medicines and giving first aid. As many as 9,755 people have so far been checked in the camps held by the Dera volunteers in Kashmir villages,” he said. Apart from this, volunteers donated 57 units of blood at the Shere-e-Kashmir Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for the flood-affected people. Volunteers also got busy in a cleanliness drive in Srinagar’s Athwajan and Shivpora areas. 2 corneal transplant surgeries conducted
Two corneal transplant surgeries were performed at the SKIMS, Bemina, through a joint effort of socio-spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda, Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and the Ophthalmology Department of SKIMS, Bemina. Dr Aditya Insan, director, eye bank, Dera Sacha Sauda, along with doctors from SKIMS, Bemina, performed the surgeries. “Two patients, a 55-year-old woman with spontaneous failure of cornea and another 35-year-old woman with bilateral corneal clouding were operated upon successfully,” an official said claiming that it was for the first time that such surgeries were conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. |
||
|
Jagti residents donate for flood victims
Jammu, September 28 The donation amount and relief material was handed over to the Secretary, State Election Campaign Committee, Sat Sharma (CA). The programme was held under the supervision of BJP’s Kashmiri Visthapit Forum in charge Triloki Nath Bhat. The senior BJP leader was also accompanied by state BJP spokesperson Lalit Moza, office secretary Naresh Dogra, senior leader Moti Lal Koul and the state convenor of the Human Rights Cell. — TNS
|
||
|
Govt orders digging of roads to pump out water
Srinagar, September 28 The police, administration and local rescue teams have been carrying out water clearance operations, but have failed to clear these residential areas of the flood water. Around 25-30 ft road has been dug in the Raj Bagh area so that the flood water from houses, shops and markets flows into this. An official said digging roads was the only way by which these areas could be cleared off water since all other methods had been already tried. “Efforts are under way to help drain out water from Jawahar Nagar and Raj Bagh areas,” a state administration official said. Hundreds of houses have collapsed in these areas and cracks have developed in many houses. Meanwhile, formal orders of the state government directing a compensation of over Rs 12,000 for those whose houses have collapsed has drawn criticism from many quarters calling it inadequate.
|
||
|
JKPCC distributes relief material
Srinagar, September 28 The president of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee said the endeavour of the Congress was that the aid should reach the most deserving persons and that the party would ensure adequate relief was offered to the affected people from the state and Central government. He said local youths had created ‘history’ through their dedication for saving marooned families. He said the Army and the National Disaster Response Force had helped the needy and marooned families in a praiseworthy manner. The president of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committeewas accompanied by other Congress leaders, including Syed Ahmad, Nissar Ahmad Khan, Uma Shankar Panday, Pranav Shagotra, Manjeet Singh, Rajvir Singh and Waseem Ahmad.
|
||
|
Stink turns Srinagar into city of masks
Srinagar, September 28 The city which for the last 21 days has seen the worst-ever floods and its after-effects, every lane, houses, hotels, offices and shops are still filled with silt and garbage left behind by the floods. Though the water has receded in most of the areas, cleaning the city is a big task as every nook and corner of the city is stinking. “Till the time all the houses, shops, lanes and by-lanes are cleaned, people have to use masks,” said Ali Muhammad, a taxi driver. However, the administration has cleaned the main roads in Srinagar city and traffic has been resumed. “Before the floods, people used to love coming to Srinagar city. But now even the residents are facing difficulties in coping up with the stink. Now, people only move out of their houses in case of urgent work,” said Samiya, a school teacher. Earlier, during this time of the year hotels in Srinagar city used to bustle with activity, but now stink and filth is keeping people away. The floods have left behind tonnes of silt and garbage. The biggest worry is for those hoteliers who have basements as they are facing a lot of difficulty in clearing the area. The absence of migrant labourers is hindering the cleaning process.
|
|
Rentals go beyond reach in Srinagar Srinagar, September 28 The rented accommodations in the areas which were untouched by the floods have touched the sky. It has become difficult for poor families as winters are approaching and staying in tents on the roadside has become impossible. “We cannot go back to our home as there are cracks in the walls and it can collapse anytime. Besides, the rates of rented accommodation have hit the roof and there are no shelter homes being provided by the government,” said Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of Mehjoor Nagar. Muhammad Iqbal, 43, on whose house a tree fell during the floods is finding it hard to get a room for his family of four as the rents are as high as Rs 15,000 for a three-room set. “We had a big house, but now we are on road. Finding a room has become difficult for us. We lost our business, our shelter everything. We can’t afford so much money,” he said, adding that the government left people helpless.
|
||
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Jammu, September 28
Srinagar, September 28
Jammu, September 28
Baramulla, September 28
Srinagar, September 28
Srinagar, September 28
