Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: The Government on Monday ordered the continuation of the ban on high-speed internet in Jammu and Kashmir till May 11.

In a latest order issued by the Home Department, the reason cited for the decision includes spurt in militant violence, the launch of new outfits and “well-founded” apprehensions of the “field agencies” regarding “enhanced efforts by Pakistan for recruitment in the (militant) ranks as well as infiltration attempts, which heavily depend on high-speed internet.”

“Such restrictions have been placed in order to curb uploading, downloading, circulation of provocative videos, guard against rumor-mongering, fake news, prevent the use of encrypted messaging and VOIP services for infiltration and coordinating (militant) activities, and defeat the nefarious designs from across the border to propagate (militancy,” reads the order issued here by Principal Secretary Home department, a copy of which lies with Global News Service.

It said the misuse of data services by “anti-national elements” has the potential to scale up violent activities and disturb public order, “which has till now been maintained due to the gradual easing of restrictions on access to the internet while ensuring that rights and interests of the citizens are not affected adversely.”

“Now, therefore, on consideration of the overall security scenario and the reports of the law enforcing agencies, I am satisfied that there is no other alternative but to continue with the speed restrictions in respect of access to the internet through mobiles while providing unrestricted fixed-line connectivity i.e. without any speed restrictions, and, accordingly, in the interest of the sovereignty and the integrity of India, the Security of the State and for maintaining public order, ….I, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, hereby direct that there shall (restrictions on access to the internet with mobile data services restricted to 2G only,” reads the order, adding that these restrictions shall continue till May 11. (GNS)

Anantnag: No standard operating procedures were followed in treating a pregnant lady of Kharpora, Kokernag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district,who was tested positive for Covid- 19, a day after her death.

As per the standard operating procedures (SOPS), the pregnant women in red zones shall be enlisted and they shall be managed at health centres established in red and buffer zones.

Besides that according to SOP, all the asymptomatic pregnant women shall be tested one week before the expected date of delivery (EDD) using rapid antibody tests

However the hospital authorities have failed to set up an isolation facility for the expecting mothers coming from red zones at MCH Anantnag, there by risking the lives of patients as well as attendants.

A doctor, requesting anonymity, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that deceased, the wife of Javid Ahmad, a resident of Kharpora Kokernag, who died along with twins at MCH Anantnag wasn’t kept in isolation ward and she came in contact with dozens of patients and attendants.

She was taken to labour room but before treating her, doctors and paramedical staff had to literally beg for safety gears, he said, adding that no SOP was followed as her samples for covid-19 should have been taken before seven days whether she was symptomatic or asymptomatic.

“The medical staff and attendants were worried as swabs of pregnant lady were taken for testing after her death,” the doctor said. “The medical staff is in complete shock since her tests came positive.”

Pertinently, soon after her death, her family members alleged that doctors were hesitant to treat her as she was from red zone area which lead to her death along with twins.

Soon after allegations, an inquiry committee was constituted and asked to submit its report within three days. Officials sources said that despite knowing that she is from red zone area and taking her samples for covid-19 testing, body was handed over to family for last rites.

They said authorities should have kept her body in a mortuary till her covid report would have come. “As per the WHO guidelines, all pregnant women who visit hospital have to be treated as covid-19 probable and this lady was from the red zone and made her more suspected,” said another doctor.

Locals from Kharpora, Kokernag also said that at least 100 persons took part in her funeral besides dozens of ladies were present at her residence and gave her burial bath.

Principal Government Medical College Dr Showkat Jeelani said that three doctors, two nurses and few medicos were immediately asked to go for home quarantine after the death of lady.

He further claimed that the lady was presumed as covid-19 patient and was buried as per WHO guidelines. Asked that there was an evidence that hundreds of people have participated in her last rites, he said: “We too have reports that few of her relatives have took part in her funeral. We have rushed a team there to trace her all possible contacts.”

To query about the fate of inquiry, he said that the process is on and once it will be completed, details will be shared. “If anybody is found involved in negligence, action will be taken,” he said—KNO)

Srinagar: Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Kashmiris are lending helping hand to non-local laborers by offering them food and other essentials.

There are around 20,000 migrant laborers stranded in Kashmir. Most of these migrant workers are running out of money and food and are desperate to go back to their native places.

Amid this locals are providing them food and other essential to these laborers.

“We are running out of money but some local people are providing us food and other essentials. The locals provide us all possible help and are even collecting money to help non-local laborers,” a non-local laborer Satish Kumar from Bihar told news agency KINS.

He is stranded along with a group of non-local laborers in old city Srinagar.

Another non-local laborer from Uttar Pradesh said they reached Kashmir in the second week of March. “I worked for two days and earned Rs 1000 before the lockdown started.

Kashmir’s working season starts in March so laborers had started coming here from various parts of the country. Government should have given laborers three days to reach to their homes before announcing lockdown,” he said, who is a mason by profession and is stranded in Srinagar.

“Last week we had no food to eat but we were provided food by locals. How long can we dependent on local or on some support of the Kashmir administration,” he asked.

Many local youth has provided food and other essential to score of non-local laborers in various parts of Srinagar including at Hawal.

“Our families are worried about our safety. I have seen 2010 and 2016 lockdown but this time it is scary to stay here. We want to leave for our home as soon as possible. We want to survive to see the faces of our family members,” a laborer from Uttar Pradesh, who is stranded in Anantnag told KINS.

He said some locals helped them and provided food. “But everyone is running for his safety. If anyone gets infected, he can disseminate it to others. We (labourers) are prone to get infected as we don’t sanitize ourselves. How can we avoid any possible transmission of the virus when we are not able to maintain any distance,” he asked, who is a barber by profession.

Almost 80 percent barbers in Kashmir are non-locals as societal pressure has forced many local barbers to give up this trade.

Locals along with NGOs have been arranging meals in various areas for migrant laborers. “When everything is halted and these non-local laborers have not earned a single penny, it is our responsibility to take care of them,” said Omar Ahmad. He along with a group of people has been arranging meals for non-local laborers in parts of south Kashmir.

“They had left Kashmir last year in August and starting coming back in March. Almost four lakh laborers would have come to Kashmir by April 15 had there been no lockdown,” an official of Labour Departments said.(KINS)

Pulwama: In a road accident, a youth died on Monday after being hit by a Tipper in Pathan village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Sources told KNT the youth named Anayat Ahmad Wani son of Ali Mohammad Wani from Sanzwatri village of Pulwama was riding a Scooty when he was hit by a Tipper.

“It was so instant that I can’t get myself to believe it actually happened. The boy was badly injured and died on the spot,” one of the eye-witnesses said.

It is pertinent to mention that the youth was a lone brother of six sisters.

Meanwhile, a police team reached the spot for investigations in connection with the mishap and arrested the Tipper driver. (KNT)

Srinagar: Twenty four persons on Monday tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the overall tally of the COVID-19 patients in J&K near 550-mark.

Official sources told GNS that among them, 15 were confirmed at Viral Diagnostic Lab of SKIMS Soura and include five each from Baramulla and Shopian, 3 from Bandipora and one each from Budgam and Kupwara districts.

Eight other cases were confirmed at the COVID-19 testing laboratory at Chest Disease hospital Dalgate and include six from Anantnag district and one each from Srinagar and Kulgam districts.

Also, Jammu division reported one fresh case and is said to be man in late 40s.

His is the first case from Reasi district, the sources added. As per the official data, till late Sunday, there were 523 cases and new cases take the overall tally to near 550-mark. (GNS)

Usually, apples stocked in October are released from April, but in the last one month only 30,000 tonnes could hit the ‘mandis’ in Punjab and Delhi that opened intermittently due to the restrictions.

Mufti Islah, CNN-News18

Lassipora, (Pulwama): Kashmir’s impeccably delicious and off-seasonal apples have hit the COVID-19 bump, prompting growers to pitch a bailout call to locals.

Apple growers were anticipating selling the held-back produce at good prices but the coronavirus lockdown has dashed all their hopes. With severe restrictions across the country, traders and farmers are neither finding old and dependable market chains nor affordable transport to ferry the apples even to Srinagar or big towns of the Valley.

The thought of incurring more losses looming large have forced some traders to relay distress calls to fellow Kashmiris to buy apples in bulk in the month of Ramzan. This, they hope, will help them recover losses and tide over debts incurred on pesticides and cold storage.

“A 15kg box in cold storage is charged Rs 30 to 32 a month and you can calculate how much we have spent in the last six months just to keep the apples fresh and retain their hardness,” said Shabaz, an apple grower.

“We can at least recover some losses if locals consume apples during Ramzan,” said Afroz, a fruit trader.

Kashmiris devour dates, watermelons, muskmelons, grapes and cherries to break their fast during Iftaar. Afroz and others want them to include apples in their menu too.

Tanveer ul Haq, an apple trader from Shopian, put up an emotional message on social media asking locals to buy apples instead of other fruits, which any way are not reaching Kashmir in adequate quantities due to the pandemic.

“I pleaded to the Kashmiris to eat as many apples as they can. Our growers have suffered immense losses and they need your help to pay back loans,” he said.

The fruit growers in the Valley were able to ship out a huge chunk of the total 2.2 million tonnes of apples from October to various ‘mandis’ across the country. They held back 1.3 lakh tonnes of top-notch Red Delicious for six months in controlled storage with an eye on the summer market, when apples sell at roaring prices.

Usually, apples stocked in October are released from April, but in the last one month only 30,000 tonnes could hit the ‘mandis’ in Punjab and Delhi that opened intermittently due to the restrictions.

Meanwhile, in Pulwama’s Lassipora village, 18 of the Valley’s 22 cold storage plants still hold close to a lakh tonne of produce, waiting to be shipped out.

“It is very tough to send fruits from here. One, mandis across India don’t open regularly and two, the transport is a big deal. If some truckers want to ply, they charge you two to three times more than normal,” said Nazir Ahmad, a grower from Keegam, outside a cold chain plant while hauling up boxes of apple carton in a small loadcarrier. Albeit, he wasn’t sure where to take it.

“If allowed, will take it to city and sell. But inter-district movement is not allowed,” he added.

Apart from transportation, apple growers have been left aghast as some police checkpoints have stopped them to reach the storage plants where their fruit has been locked since the last six months.

“The police does not allow us to enter Pulwama,” lamented Yasir Ahmad, a trader from Shopian. They have been told to stop the entry of people from Shopian into Pulwama district.

“The reason could be that Pulwama has no coronavirus positive cases, while there are a few red zones in Shopian, including a case of community transmission in Hirpora village,” said Mohammad Gafoor.

Akeel Hassan, a manager of cold storage plant told News18 that looking at apple growers’ issues, they have decided not to charge them for the extended period they deposit fruit there.

“Our agreement to retain fruit was till March end but because they don’t find buyers they have kept it here. We have not charged them for this period. They are already in loss and that is why we are asking the government to bail out the fruit industry,” Hassan added.

Taking cognizance of the matter, Deputy Commissioner of Shopian, Yasin Chowdhary, said that his team has taken up the issue of movement of fruit growers from Shopian into Lassipora with his Pulwama counterpart and they have worked out an arrangement of allowing 10 growers per day.

“We don’t want many people to crowd in the area due to the pandemic protocol, but 10 growers will be allowed every day to collect apples for selling,” he said, adding there are around 30 to 35 growers from Shopian who have stocked their apples in the cold storages.

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed)

Nothing to worry as it includes 137 recoveries: Official

The novel coronavirus topped the 500 figure in J&K on Sunday as 27 more locals tested positive spiking the number to 523.

“Total cases now 523. But don’t let this number daunt you. This includes 137 recoveries too. We will keep doing aggressive testing and strict containment. And you have to support it,” J&K spokesperson Rohit Kansal said.

An official said nine of the fresh cases were reported from from Anantnag, eight from Bandipora, seven from Baramulla, two from Srinagar and one from Kupwara.

Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Samir Mattoo said the increasing number of positive patients across the Kashmir region needs a humane touch.

“I have interacted with scores of patients in these isolation and COVID-19 facilities and I was given this notion that some of the patients have shown tremendous recovery after experiencing positive and humane touch from the frontline healthcare workers,” Dr. Mattoo said.

He thanked the doctors and the staff of hospitals for their exemplary services.

Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary, said a door-to-door health survey in the wake of the spread, which was started less than two weeks ago, is nearing completion in all the areas notified as red zones in Srinagar.

An official said a population of around 25,000 people put together had been covered under the survey and the data generated submitted to health authorities for investigations.

“Decisions for containment will be based on the results of this audit. Therefore, there must be full cooperation and participation in the exercise,” said Dr. Choudhary.

Kulgam: A gunfight broke out between militants and government forces in Guddar area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday evening.

Reports reaching news agency —Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that a joint team Army’s 09RR , SOG and CRPF launched cordon and search operation in Guddar area.

A senior Police officer told KNO that contact has been established with hiding militants after forces zeroed in towards the suspected spot.

As per the sources, two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area. While this report was being filed, exchange of firing was going on (KNO)