Category: Union Territory

Three more tested positive for COVID-19 in Kashmir on Monday taking the toll to 109. The authorities have sealed a colony in Srinagar for being a virus hotspot.

“Three new positive cases were detected from the Kashmir division. Of the 109 positive cases, 103 are positive,” a spokesman said.

Around 35,243 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance.

Dr. A.G. Ahanger, Director of the Sher-i-Kashmir Medical Sciences hospital, said 238 of the 283 suspected patients admitted in the hospital were discharged. He said “24 positive patients are under treatment and are all recovering well”.

The administration declared Srinagar’s Chattabal as containment zone and sealed it after several positive cases were reported from the area.

“The sealing is aimed at preventing the spread and to enable smooth conduct of survey to determine the extent of spread,” district Magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

“A plan has been formulated for ensuring smooth supplies of essential commodities and services in the area. Medical teams will also move under strict supervision,” he said.

With inputs from The Hindu

A medical team and Rapid Response Force team that had gone to check on a patient with suspected coronavirus symptoms was attacked and pelted with stones in Guroora village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday afternoon.

Eye-witnesses told that a member of Rapid Response Force (RSF) went to Guroora village to trace a Covid-19 suspect but were attacked with bricks and stones by the people of the village.

“As soon as we started asking about the patient, the locals started throwing stones at us from their rooftops,” said a team member. “If we would not have taken police team along, all of us would have sustained serious injuries. We were rescued by the police.”

Station House Officer (SHO) Aragam, Javid Ahamad, said that a person from the village was to be taken for medical tests but his family members refused. “A case under FIR number 13/06 2020 under section 147, 148, 336, 188 IPC has been also registered against the suspect and further investigations are on,” he said –(KNO)

Kupwara, Apr 6: Tehsildar Kralpora, Kupwara was on Monday suspended for “degrading a senior officer” and using “unparliamentary language” against him on official WhatsApp group. An inquiry has also been ordered against him.

As per an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, the tehsildar had uploaded a post in an official group of district administration “which amounts to serious misconduct and is unbecoming of a public servant”.

“It obtains that the post uploaded on the official group of District Administration by Tehsildar Kralpora degrading a senior officer and use of unparliamentary language amounts to serious misconduct and is unbecoming of a public servant,” the order reads.

“Such negligent act in the current time of crisis management amidst a notified disaster, details a series of efforts put forth by team of district administration, besides impeding public service delivery adversely, and warrants disciplinary action immediately,” it added.

It further said that tehsildars have been assigned specific responsibilities to ensure compliance of the directions on field in wake of lockdown owing to coronavirus pandemic.

“Tehsildars being the magistrates in their respective jurisdictions have important responsibilities of law and order management during lockdown, supervising work of surveillance teams, ensuring supply of essential commodities to the general public and coordinating with their counterparts to ensure effective crisis management in the current scenario,” it said.

“In view of the above, Tariq Ahmed Bhat, Tehsildar Kralpora is under suspicion with immediate effect and attached with Assistant Commissioner Revenue Kupwara who shall conduct an enquiry and furnish his report to this office,” the order reads. “Tehsildar Tarthpora is assigned the charge of Tehsildar Kralpora in addition to his own duties till further orders.” (GNS)

‘J&K admin yet to take call on consumption of dates in fasting month commencing from April 25’

Srinagar, Apr 06: Jammu and Kashmir administration is yet to decide whether to allow the consumption of dates in the fasting month of Ramadhan starting from April 25 even as medical experts on Monday said that dates are safe for consumption and they don’t transmit the virus like Covid-19.

Officials tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in Kashmir told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that no decision has been taken whether to allow the consumption of dates in the fasting month of Ramadhan in Kashmir. “We will decide on it after consulting experts,” a senior official in the J&K administration said.

Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, a renowned Flu expert, said it’s safe to eat and break the fast with dates, stating that dates can’t be carriers of virus. “The virus doesn’t come in boxes, packets or any packages. Covid mainly spreads through human to human transmission,” he said.

He said the virus doesn’t remain on any surface for long and it sustains there for a few hours only. “The deadly virus remains on the surface for few hours only and them it goes off. If the dates come from Saudi Arabia or elsewhere better is to wash them properly only then consume it,” he said. “People must wash the dates properly. Eating dates won’t cause any sort of harm”, Dr. Nisar said.

Replying to a query about bats in Saudia Arabia may have infected the dates, Dr. Nisar said the general public should not to fall into the trap of rumors unless anything is scientifically proven or studied.

Meanwhile the Nodal Officer for Coronavirus in Kashmir, Dr. SM Qadri told KNO that ban and curbs on consumption and trade of dates in holy month is an administrative decision. “There is no decision so far about the trade and consumption of dates in the forthcoming holy month. But the administration will take a call, let’s wait for that,” he said.

In Kashmir, the consumption of dates goes high in the month of Ramdham as people prefer to break their day-long fast by eating dates. Majority of date supply comes from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to Kashmir. The deadly pandemic has killed 65000 people across globe and left over 12 million affected so far—(KNO)

The rockets targeted the site of Halliburton in the Burjesia area in the oil-rich Basra province, the military statement said

AP

At least three rockets hit near the site of an American oil field service company in southern Iraq early on Monday, Iraq’s military said, the first such attack in recent months to target U.S. energy interests in Iraq.

The rockets targeted the site of Halliburton in the Burjesia area in the oil-rich Basra province, the military statement said.

Two Iraqi security officials and one official at the state-run Basra Oil Company said five rockets at struck the area. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

A rocket launcher was subsequently found on the Zubair-Shuaiba road by security forces, according to the statement, with 11 unused missiles that were later defused.

No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. There was no significant damage, the military said, adding that Iraqi security forces in Basra are searching for the perpetrators of the attack.

Halliburton is an American oil service provider working in the Zubair oil field, which is operated by the Italian ENI.

Monday’s attack was the first since last summer to target U.S. oil companies working in the oil-rich south. A rocket struck a oil-drilling site in Basra last June, landing inside a compound housing energy giant Exxon Mobil, Shell and ENI. Three local workers were wounded in that attack.

U.S. workers were evacuated from the site after last year’s attack.

SRINAGAR, April 6: Most people whose mental health has been affected due to ongoing crisis are youth and sleeplessness is very common symptom of anxiety among them, say experts.
As a large population struggling with various mental health issues due to turmoil, the number further went up post August 5 when valley remained shut for months. Now lockdown according to doctors could worsen the condition to people in Kashmir especially children and youth who are susceptible to mental ailments.
Dr Mansoor, a psychiatrist working in south Kashmir, said this lock down is different from previous ones in Kashmir.
“There is no sentimental motivation for Kashmiris in this lockdown. Present situation has given us fear because there is threat for survival,” he told Kashmir Indepth News Service(KINS).
He divided people in three groups who he said come for medical assistance these days.
“Firstly those people who are already on prescription of a psychiatrist. These people either have a reemergence of symptoms or they have some queries regarding prescription,” he said.
Other group Dr Mansoor said who seek medical assistance have had mild anxiety in past.
They have been on treatment of other specialists (cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and physicians) and have an exacerbation of these anxiety symptoms, he said.
He said third group is those who have developed symptoms now. “They are fearful, having palpitations and worried about pandemic. They are usually youth. Most of them are worried about the cause of their symptoms. Sleeplessness is a very common symptom in this group. They are most difficult to manage,” Dr Mansoor said, who is also providing online help to patients.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has pushed crores of people to the confinement of their houses across the world. Kashmir depicts a distinct rundown. Various surveys have revealed that over 45 percent population in Kashmir has symptoms of mental illness.
Child and adolescent mental health counselor at Child Guidance and Wellbeing Centre run by IMHANS in collaboration with UNICEF, Wasim Rashid Kakroo, said parents should manage their anxiety so that it does not reflect on their children.
“Parents have to be patient because children are emulating their activities. If parents are stressed it will have direct impact on their children. They should make a peaceful environment in their home,” Wasim told KINS.
He said increase or decrease in appetite, sleep, shifting of moods, losing of interest is all indications of stress.
Javid Ahmad Mir, who is Post Graduate Psychiatric Nursing and research scholar, said disease of any kind has a major impact on the mental health.
“Be it COVID-19 outbreak or other public health events, can cause emotional distress and anxiety. During any disease outbreak feeling anxious, confused, overwhelmed or helpless is mostly prevalent,” he said.(KINS)

Srinagar, April 06: The Cyber Cell of Jammu and Kashmir police Monday claimed to have busted module involved in spreading old encounter videos on social media to instigate people for violence.
“We have traced and arrested three youth from various parts of Kashmir who had shared old video to spread fake message about civilian killings in Kulgam district and were also uploading pictures of militants on social media to gain sympathy for militancy,” Tahir Ashraf, SP Cyber police Kashmir told Kashmir Indepth News (KINS).
According to the SP, “ Three youth from Baramulla ,South Kashmir and Srinagar respectively, were arrested for sharing a video of 2018 uploaded on Youtube by National News Group showing content of an encounter. “The youth had changed the caption of the small clip by writing three civilians killed and 30 others injured in Kulgam encounter,” said Ashraf.
He said that the clip was uploaded by several other people and in some parts of South Kashmir, law and order situation was about to break. “Timely intervention of the cyber cell that brought down the content from all accounts and blocked the content saved the situation from turning bad,” the officer said.
He further told KINS: “The other youth, who have also been arrested, had uploaded the pictures of militants by portraying them as martyrs in a bid to gain people’s sympathy. This was a common in year 2016 as even some people had kept the display picture (DPs) of slain militants in a bid to eulogies militants,” he said. “But the swift action of cyber police has helped to prevent these youth from luring others towards militancy.
We are investigating whether they were doing it on their own or were directed from the handlers from across of within Kashmir. That is subject to investigation,” he added.
He said that the social media is the fastest means to spread fake news, instigate people through wrong information etc. “Apart from these three youth, a few more have also been identified who are involved in the same act,” the officer, who oversees cyber wing operations in Kashmir said.
He said that action will be initiated against the arrested trio under section 505 Indian Penal Code (IPC) and there is also a provision to put them behind the bars for three years. “An FIR has been lodged and further investigations are on while as more arrests are on cards,” the officer told KINS.
He warned of a toughest action and severe punishment under serval sections of Indian Penal Code against those trying to fake uploading videos to trigger law and order situations in Kashmir.
“Some people of Kashmir use to upload videos of militants on social media and even keep the pictures of militants as their DPs. It’s a serious offence and now it can invite action against IPC sections, especially 505 section of IPC that also allows three years of jail,” he maintained.(KINS)