Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: The apple growers in Jammu and Kashmir have expressed concern that their produce may get rotten in the cold storage units if there is no relaxation in the continuing lockdown in view of Covid-19 pandemic.

The apple growers told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that their produce have started to get rotten in the cold storage units as they were unable to sell them due to the present lockdown.

They said that they were unable to transport their produce from Kashmir valley to other fruit mandis across the country in view of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Subzar Ahmad a grower from Shopian district told KNO that he has stored around 1000 apple boxes in cold storage unit at Lassipora and he is worried as they have started to get rotten.

“We usually keep A grade apples in cold storage chains and then transport to it different markets in spring and would earn handsome money but this year the produce has started to get rotten due to the continuous lockdown,” he said.

He said that they have to pay Rs 25 to 30 per month for each apple box kept in cold storage unit and if they were not able to sell our produce they will incur huge losses.

Nawaz Ahmad another fruit grower said that somehow he managed to take few trucks outside the valley but they were forced to return back on seeing all mandis closed across India.

He said that they paid 30 thousands to truck owners as fare and later kept their produce again in the cold storage unit.

According to official sources 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of apple was stored in cold storage units in valley and among them 80% of produce is still lying in cold storage units.

As per experts apples that have been stored in cold storage units would fetch around 1000 crore to growers and if apples will get rotten it will incur huge losses.

Pertinently horticulture sector has already suffered a huge loss due to the clampdown after abrogation of article 370 and untimely snowfall in 1st week of November last year.

Growers urged the authorities to look into the matter and facilitate them in transporting their produce to different mandis located across the country.

Pertinently, the horticulture industry is the backbone of the union territory’s economy and the minimal revenue turnover it provides is about be Rs 8,000 crore and more than 33 lakh individuals are involved in the sector at its various stages.

The horticulture industry has around 1, 44, 825 hectares under apple cultivation in ten district of the valley. Government records reveal the average annual apple production in the valley is 18 lakh metric tons — (KNO)

Srinagar: There has been further increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the Valley with government stating that more 13 have been tested positive on Saturday, taking the toll of overall cases across the Union Territory to 341.

Government spokesman, Rohit Kansal in his tweet informed that 13 more cases have been tested positive in the Valley, saying that with fresh cases detected today, the number of cases in Kashmir has mounted to 287.

“No new cases from Jammu Division, 13 from Kashmir; Total positive cases now 341 (54 Jammu and 287 Kashmir). Further details in daily media bulletin,” Kansal tweeted—(KNO)

Srinagar: Around 1200 suspected social media accounts operating in Kashmir are under the radar of security agencies.

Kashmir has become a breeding ground for rumor mongering, fake news and orders amid COVID-19.
For the last few weeks, Cyber Police Kashmir has registered at least nine cases for uploading fake news, orders, and pictures.

“Misuse of social media has become a challenging task for the security agencies in Kashmir. “We have identified 1200 Facebook pages, Twitter and Instragram which are under our radar. Some may be operating from across the border. We are monitoring what kind of stuff they are sharing and will act accordingly,” one of the top officials here in the Cyber police told news agency KINS.

He said Cyber Police was also monitoring all the profiles and the content being shared by the users. “Some posts are to destabilize the social fabric and create law and order in the valley. We are closely monitoring the social media and take appropriate action accordingly,” he said.

SP Cyber police Tahir Ashraf also confirmed to KINS that suspected social media accounts were under radar. “Yes around 1000 to 1200 social media accounts are under radar,” he said.

However Tahir said that they were making people aware how to secure their social media accounts and what kind of stuff they should share.

“We also found there are certain users who misuse social media. They are quite young of their age and well in their studies. There is nothing against them in police records. We have contacted their parents and counsel them so they don’t misuse social media. We have already counseled over 25 youth so far,” he said.

He further told that there is a minimum punishment of three years for social media misuse. “There would be 15 years punishment and even life imprisonment for those who are glorifying militancy,” he said.

He appealed people they should abide the ethics and rule. “In today’s time, we are relying on social media. It is very important we should make its proper use. People should refrain from disseminating fake information which deteriorates mental health,” he added.

There are lots of reports about misusing of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram besides other by the miscreants who are using fake and anonymous names.

Recently, a fake news was uploaded on face book wherein a morphed picture of Lalchowk Gantaghar Srinagar has been shown with a flag of Pakistan administered Kashmir. Immediately the FIR was registered, accused were identified and arrested under the provisions of law.

During the recently monitoring and patrolling of Social Media platforms viz. Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Whatsapp and linkedin, there has been instances where some of the users were found posting fake news, fake documents, incriminating / hateful posts.(KINS)

Srinagar, April 18: Eight persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Saturday in Kashmir Division, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in Jammu and Kashmir to 341.

Among the fresh cases, five are from Bandipora and one from Beerwah Budgam while two samples received from GMC Anantnag returned positive. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Four COVID19 Positive patients who were undergoing treatment at Sher-i-Kashmir institute of medical sciences “SKIMS” Soura Srinagar were discharged on Saturday.

Dr Ghulam Hassan Yatoo Nodal Officer SKIMS Confirmed to Asiannewshub that four CoronaVirus positive patients were discharged on Saturday after testing negative multiple times for deadly novel Coronavirus.

The patients while leaving for their homes praised and thanked the doctors and nurses for taking care of them.

Meanwhile, Nodal Officer from SKIMS said that the three patients discharged belonged to Srinagar and other from Budgam district.(ANH)

Kulgam, Apr 18: A purported video has gone viral in which a family from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district makes a fervent appeal to its ‘militant’ son to return home for the sake of his elderly parents.

In the video family members are requesting militants to send their doctor son back to home. However, it is not clear whether the youth in question has joined militant ranks or not.

Family sources told KNT that Raja Nadeem, who has a Bachelors in veterinary sciences, and is a doctor has gone missing last week. Despite searching for him, he was untraceable. “The family has a reason to believe that he has joined the militant ranks as they have received information from different quarters that Raja Nadeem has joined a militant outfit.”

Family has also approached police station and lodged a missing report about his son. “We are shocked because Nadeem never made us believe that he was inclined towards militancy. He assisted his family and spent most of the time at home,” said the family members.
“Our family is shattered.

We appeal to him, wherever he is to come back home. Do not leave us like this,” the family appealed. (KNT)

Srinagar: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah who was virtually in hibernation after the outbreak of Coronavirus Saturday rung Jammu Kashmir Police Chief and lauded the role of police in enforcing lockdown in letter and spirit.
  
  Indian opposition parties have criticized Amit Shah for his deafening silence over the issues relating to lockdown, migrant labourers and Covid-19.

 A police spokesperson told KNT that Amit Shah called police Chief Dilbagh Singh over phone and conveyed his deep appreciation for effective lockdown and excellent services rendered by all ranks of Jammu Kashmir Police.
  
  “The Home Minister in a telephonic message to Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh also coveyed his compliments for good management in maintaining law and order in Jammu and Kashmir. (KNT)  

New York, the financial capital of the world, has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic. More than 14,000 people have died in the city and over 2 lakh people have tested positive so far. Neighbouring New Jersey has more than 78,000 cases and 3,800 deaths.

PTI

The number of the coronavirus cases in the US crossed 7,00,000 on Friday, while over 35,000 people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, as President Donald Trump assured his people that America was “very close” to seeing the light “shinning brightly” at the end of the tunnel.

New York, the financial capital of the world, has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic. More than 14,000 people have died in the city and over 2,00,000 people have tested positive so far. Neighbouring New Jersey has more than 78,000 cases and 3,800 deaths.

President Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that to date the U.S. had conducted more than 3.78 million coronavirus tests, by far the most in any country.

“It’s not even close. In the hardest-hit areas such as New York and Louisiana we have also tested more people per capita than South Korea, Singapore, and every other country. The United States has the most robust, advanced and accurate testing system anywhere in the world,” he said.

Mr. Trump said that the number of deaths could have been much higher if his administration had not mounted a massive effort against containing the coronavirus. Against initial estimated death of between one and two lakhs, Mr. Trump hoped that the death toll could be far less and around 65,000.

“It’s a horrible thing that happened to our country. This is a horrible thing that happened to 184 countries all over the world. It was a horrible thing and there was no reason for it. That should never, ever happen again,” Mr. Trump said.

Ultimate victory in this war will be made possible by America’s scientific brilliance, Mr. Trump asserted.

“There is nothing like us, there is nobody like us, not even close. I wish I could tell you stories what other countries, even powerful countries say to me, the leaders. They say it quietly and they say off the record, but they have great respect for what we can do,” he said.

The last few months have been among the most challenging times in the history of the nation, Mr. Trump said.

“This invisible enemy is tough and it’s smart and it’s a vicious that every day we are getting closer to the future that we all have been waiting for,” he said.

“I talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting very, very close to seeing that light shine very brightly at the end of that tunnel and it is happening,” he said.

According to Vice President Mike Pence, despite the tragic loss of more than 36,000 Americans, the latest data show that the new cases are slow and steady on the West Coast.

“We continue to see cases and hospitalisations declining in the new greater New York City area, in New Orleans and Detroit and elsewhere,” he said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, 1,54,142 people have died and 22,42,868 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus that originated in China in November last year.

Over 35,000 people have died in the U.S. and the country has 7,01,131 infections, the highest in the world.