Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: The State Health authorities on Friday issued an advisory on H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu) following a death of a patient who had tested positive for the virus. While authorities asserted that there was no need to panic, they however stressed on the need to exercise caution.

The 43-year old man from south Kashmir (name withheld), who had tested positive for H1N1 influenza and had developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) died at the SMHS hospital on December 21, sources told Greater Kashmir.

Medical Superintendent SMHS, Dr Nazir A Chaudhary said the patient was the lone case of the Flu the SMHS hospital had received. “We have already taken adequate precautionary measures and we have administered prophylaxis to his attendants,” he said.

The GMC health officials stressed that H1N1 flu was ‘endemic’ implying that the cases were found quite often in this geographical area without causing much of a virulent activity in most cases. “It is not expected to cause an outbreak because this virus has been in the community like many other microbes,” Dr Saleem Khan HoD Social and Preventive Medicine GMC Srinagar said.

Dr Parvaiz A Kaul, influenza expert and HoD Internal Medicine SKIMS, said currently there was “some circulation of virus in our state”, but quite like the “normal flu”.

“H1N1 is the major strain of circulating viruses right now,” he said. He however cautioned that the state has seen similar pattern of the virus as has seen in New Delhi.”

“A spike in cases was expected,” he said, adding it takes at least two weeks for the vaccine to build immunity against the virus.

“Necessary precautions on the community level, health authorities said, were the best way to safeguard against this and other flu, for the masses,” said a doctor.

He said considering the past behaviour of the virus, it was advisable to go for influenza vaccination, especially for children, pregnant women, elderly, diabetics and patients with kidney and lung diseases, asthmatics, and health care workers.

“Injectibles vaccines are currently available in market, and the heath advisory by GMC stated that nasal spray vaccines were also available and very effective as an individual level measure,” the doctor said.

In the beginning of 2015, in the span of three months, at least 26 people had died due to H1N1 influenza, the government had told the state legislature.

Doctors said that mass testing was not required and only those patients that the doctors felt required to be tested must go for it. H1N1 testing facilities were available at SKIMS Soura as well as GMC Srinagar, authorities said.

Srinagar: The longest dry spell in a decade in Kashmir is likely to end next week as local Metrological department Friday predicted rains and snowfall from January 4 to 6, next year.

“Light to moderate snowfall is likely to occur on higher reaches while plains would also receive widespread rains and snowfall from January 4 to January 6,” Sonam Lotus, Director of MeT Department here told Greater Kashmir. 

He said on January 4, weather would remain partly cloudy and rains are likely to occur. “On January 5, snowfall is likely to occur on higher reaches while in plains rains and snowfall may also take place,” he said.

 “From mid-September till date, Kashmir has only recorded 5 mm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 100 mm,” he said.

He said Kashmir should have received more than 100 mm rainfall from September to December as per “normal” figures.

“It is the biggest dry spell that Kashmir has witnessed in a decade. Every year, we witness a few months of dry weather, but this year it has persisted for a longer time,” said Lotus. 

He said Kashmir witnessed a long dry spell in 2007, but it lasted only for three months. 

“In 2007, no rainfall was recorded for consecutive three months—October, November and December. However in 2016, the dry spell is likely to enter fifth consecutive month,” he said.

In July and August this year, 31 mm and 16 mm rainfall was recorded respectively and since then the dry spell continues.

Meanwhile, officials said Srinagar on Tuesday recorded maximum temperature of 11.9 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius while Pahalgam recorded minus 3.4 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 3.7 degrees Celsius. 

The official said the night temperature in Srinagar city was two degrees below the normal for this time of the season and it was the coldest place in Kashmir Valley. 

He said the mercury went down by nearly three degrees in Leh, in Ladakh region of the state, from the previous night’s minus 7.9 degrees Celsius, to settle at a freezing minus 10.7 degrees Celsius.

He informed that Jammu recorded the maximum temperature 22.3 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius.

“The weather would remain dry during next 24 hours,” he said. 

 

Srinagar: At a time when entire India is fighting for eradication of black money, Kashmir-based schools are busy in doing the opposite.
Though the Education ministry has been repeatedly informed about many prominent private schools in the Valley laundering black money, there has been no action against the erring institutes. Instead, the parents allege, the schools have been given a free hand.
Reports inform that that at the onset of admission process in Kashmir for KG classes, several private schools demand hefty amounts from the parents in the name of ‘donation’ or admission fee. At least six top schools in the Valley have extracted no less than Rs 70, 000 for each admission.
But to utter surprise of everyone, these schools do not issue any receipt against the money they extract in the name of admission fee. Each of these schools admits at least 150 students in KG. “There is no receipt given against the so-called admission fee. There are no records kept for the same. We really don’t know where that money goes,” says a parent who recently admitted his 4-year-old son in a prominent school based in Srinagar.
Parents also say that against the ‘donation fee’, the receipt is issued for just Rs 3000 instead of Rs 70, 000. “This is clear anarchy. But the saddest part of it is that the government isn’t doing anything. This is black money laundering, and it seems that the Education Department is hand in glove with these private institutions,” says another parent.
Moreover, representations from several parent associations were given to the Education Department over the issue, but to no avail.
The parents also alleged that the incumbent Education Minister, Naeem Akhat Andrabi, who makes hefty claims about revolutionizing education sector in J&K is deliberately not taking any action against these schools.
In 2013, the then government had constituted a panel to fix the fee structure for private institutions in the state.
The government had also underlined the importance of putting in place rational fee structure in private education institutes operating in the state.
However, three years down the line, no action has been taken against any erring school by the panel.

Early Times Report

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir government Wednesday appointed Dr S P Vaid, (IPS) Special DG (Coordination & Law and Order) as Director General of Police, J&K upon the completion of extended term of service of K Rajendra Kumar (IPS) by the end of this year. After being appointed as the state police chief, Dr Vaid said that his focus will be to make police force more friendly, “my idea is to make the police force more and more people friendly,” he said.Regarding dealing with other issues, Dr Vaid said “while police force will be tough against the perpetrators of violence and terrorists “I will ensure that no common man is harassed.”
Keeping the morale of his men high, Dr Vaid said that “my focus will be on keeping the flag of the police force flying high in the state,”
Scheduled to join on January 1, 2017, Dr Vaid, a veterinarian is the second officer from Jammu who has risen to the post of Director General of Police after M M Khajuria, who held the position in 1985. However, he is the first regular IPS recruit to become the Director General of Police from Jammu, while Khajuria had been absorbed in the IPS from the state cadre.
After the summer 2016 uprising, Dr Vaid was shifted from position of DG (prisons) and was assigned job of Special DG (Law and order). Dr Vaid in the months of unrest held various police-public interaction programme

SRINAGAR: The J&K High Court has allowed the government to proceed with steps for integrated development of Hazratbal shrine under National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Drive (PRASAD) scheme.
The directions by a division bench of Justices Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Ali Mohammad Magrey followed submissions by states Additional Advocate General, M A Beigh, that if orders are not issued by the court, then money released for it will be lapsed.
He said the government has already initiated steps for integrated development of Hazratbal shrine under PRASAD, a government of India scheme which aims to create spiritual centres for tourism development within India.
“In view of the situation, we allow the concerned authority to proceed ahead with the proposal of Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine,” the division bench said while hearing a Public Interest Litigation.
Meanwhile the court expressed hope that monitoring committee will continue to take steps to preserve the water bodies more particularly Dal Lake which it said is the crown in the jewel of Kashmir otherwise known as heaven on earth.
Headed by Chief Secretary, the committee comprises 11 top officers from various departments besides senior advocate Zaffar Ahmed Shah, who is also amicus curie in the PIL, instituted in 2002 for protection of the Lake, one of the endangered water bodies in Kashmir.
The court also directed its registry to serve copy of the report by court commissioners—Mohammad Shafi Khan (retired session judge) and Abdul Hamid Bhat (former SSP)—to the monitoring committee “which will consider the report and expedite the decisions wherever required to be taken especially about acquisition of land.”
Meanwhile, the court has sought response to a report by enquiry officer Syed Javed Ahmad, into the complaint by a DySP with LAWDA that PDP minister Imran Raza Ansari “abused and threatened” him for taking action against illegal constructions in a prohibited area around the Dal Lake.
Ahmad, a retired Principal District and Sessions Judge, filed the report in a sealed cover.
“We have perused the report which is handed over to Jawad Ahmad, registrar judicial of this court in the open court who shall keep the same in a sealed cover. He shall however provide copy to the report counsel representing (Ansari) who will be at liberty to file his response,” the court said and ordered listing of the PIL, filed in 2002 for preserving Dal Lake, in 3 week of February. (Kashmir Reader)

Srinagar: While the five full-day relaxation period under the separatist calendar ends tomorrow, it will also be the end of the first fortnight of relaxed calendar after weekly shutdowns, marking the six-months of unrest in the Kashmir valley.The separatists are yet to come out with the proposed “plan for transition from weekly calendars” to “a long-term plan of programmes and initiatives” as the New Year starts after the ongoing schedule ends.Normal life activities resumed for five days each during the past two weeks, something which was not seen since the trouble started in the Valley following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani and two of his associates in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8.The killing of the Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy triggered the longest-ever protest in the Valley at least during the past over two decades of militancy.The militant killing led clashes between protesters and security forces resulting in the death of at least 89 persons, including two J&K Policemen, and injuries to over 12,000 others. The unrest also hit hard the region’s economy.The fortnight from December 16 to 31 included 10 days of normal life activities and six days of shutdown on Fridays and Saturdays, as per the calendar issued jointly by the separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik.Soon after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took over in April this year, the Valley was brewing up with a sense of unrest over the issues of separate colonies for migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Sainik Colony. (TNS)

Srinagar: The annual Urs of the 11th century Sufi saint Shaikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani, known as Peer Dastageer Saheb by devotees, will begin from tomorrow. The Urs celebrations are mainly held at the shrines of Dastageer Sahib located at the Khanyar and Sarai Bala areas here.A caretaker of the shrine at Sarai Bala said the 11-day Urs would begin from tomorrow. He said renowned Islamic scholars would deliver sermons at the shrine at 12.30 pm daily during the Urs period.He said preparations were in a full swing to cater to a large rush of devotees expected from tomorrow. He said many devotees offer prayers and pay obeisance at the shrines for 11 consecutive days to get their wishes fulfilled.Both shrines wore a festive look and several stalls selling local delicacies and other goods had been set up outside the premises. Markets outside the shrines were also decorated with colourful lights.The shrines are devoted to Shaikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani even as his actual shrine is located at Baghdad in Iraq. Both shrines house the holy relics of the Sufi saint that are displayed on the Urs day. Even though the saint never visited Kashmir in person, he is highly revered by the locals.J&K Wakf Board vice-chairman Peer Mohammad Hussain had on Tuesday convened a meeting to review arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Urs. — TNS

Second J&K native to head State Police after 1990

Srinagar: The State Cabinet today cleared the name of senior IPS officer DrShesh Paul Vaid as the new Director General of Police. He will take charge from K Rajendra Kumar whose extended tenure comes to end on December 31.

On expected lines, the Cabinet which met in Jammu this evening put stamp of approval on Vaid’s name for heading the State Police as he emerged as consensus choice of the state’s ruling coalition partners PDP and BJP.

“The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr SP Vaid as DGP,” Government spokesman Naeem Akhter confirmed to Greater Kashmir.

This newspaper had already reported on Tuesday that State Cabinet will take final call on the DGP’s appointment in today’s meeting.

According to sources, Vaid’s non-controversial past and vast experience at key positions made him choice for the top slot.

“He was at the helm-of-affairs in managing law and order situation in Kashmir after being appointed as Special DG Law and Order and Coordination in September this year. He handled the situation effectively and deftly,” they said.

Vaid, an IPS officer of 1986 batch, is the second native of J&K to head the State police post 1989. Earlier, KuldeepKhoda was the lone J&K domicile to hold the prized position after 90s.

Vaid, who has held sensitive positions in Kashmir at the peak of militancy, has become the 14th DG of J&K Police.

The post of DGP was created in 1982 with Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah becoming the first officer to hold the slot. Earlier, the State police was headed by an Inspector General.

Between 1982 and 1989, two other J&K residents – M. M. Khajuria (16-01-1985 to 20-05-1986) and GhulamJeelaniPandit (21-05-1987 to 20-12-1989) also headed the State police as DGP.

An indication that Vaid would succeed K. Rajendra came on September 8 this year when Government appointed him as Special DG (Law and Order and Coordination). The move was seen as precursor to his appointment as police chief of the State.

Born in 1959, Vaid after qualifying the civil service was allotted the J&K cadre in 1986.

After completing his probation period, Vaid started his career from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district as Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1988.

Vaid held prestigious positions including SP Budgam, DIG North Kashmir, DIG Jammu range, DIG Kashmir range, IG Jammu Zone, ADGP Headquarters and DG Prisons.

In 2009, Vaid went on Central deputation to the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), New Delhi, where he served at different positions including Director Special Planning, Director Training and Director Administration.

Following his promotion as Additional Director General of Police in 2011, Vaid returned to J&K same year.

Vaid survived two assassination bids – one in 1990 in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district and another in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in late 90s.

He was seriously injured when militants ambushed his vehicle in March 1999 near Sopore crossing on Srinagar-Baramulla Highway. He was the then range DIG of Baramulla-Kupwara in North Kashmir.

He is recipient of several awards including the President’s Police Medal for Prestigious Services, Sher-i-Kashmir Police Medal for Meritorious Services and Police Medal for Gallantry.

Vaid has three years of service left. He will attain superannuation on October 31, 2019.

No respite from dry, cold weather conditions; Power scenario worsens, winter sports hit

Srinagar: Temperatures plummeted further in Kashmir last night, resulting in freezing of the Dal Lake and other water bodies. Srinagar froze at minus 5.1 degree Celsius during the night while on Monday the maximum temperature was recorded 11.5 degree Celsius, said a Meteorological Department official.

He said that light to moderate rainfall in plains and snowfall on higher reaches could occur on December 29 and December 30 at isolated places across the state.

Leh in Ladakh region experienced the coldest night of the season as the temperature plummeted to minus 13.9 degrees Celsius.

An official said that long dry spell is likely to affect level in water bodies, besides affecting horticulture and agriculture production. “Rains and snowfall are important during winter months. They control the temperature from going further down and give respite from the intense cold. The long dry spell is a concern,” said an official.

He said that chances of snowfall in plains and mountains during Chillai Kalaan are maximum and frequent. “The snowfall during this period lasts for long and becomes source of water flow in different water bodies during summer. That water flow meets the demands of people for drinking water and irrigation,” he informed.

Reports said villages too are reeling under darkness as they are supplied with only a few hours of power.

The prevailing dry weather has however kept the 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway still open for traffic.

The highway connecting Srinagar and Ladakh usually remains closed from first week of December every year during winters due to heavy snowfall in the area, however this year the road is still open for traffic due to dry weather.

However, in view of the freezing temperature and slippery road conditions, the road is likely to be closed from January 1, 2017.

Chief Engineer Beacon, Brig A K Das, told Greater Kashmir that the road can remain open till weather permits. “It is the administration who has to decide about the road closure,” the Chief Engineer said.

Winter Sports Hit:

In absence of adequate snowfall, winter sporting events are also likely to get affected at Ski resort of Gulmarg. To kick start the skiing activities in Gulmarg bowl requires around 1 to 2 feet of snow accumulation.

Muhammad Abbas Wani, MLA and President Winter Games Association of J&K, said that winter games could get deferred this season.

He informed that there are some games which don’t need snowfall while there are few others whose hosting depends on snowfall.

“The hosting of some events is always dependant on snow. We plan events keeping in view the snow conditions. It may get deferred,” Wani told Greater Kashmir.

“This season the snowfall is little late. We have number of events in pipeline. The national events in Ice Hockey, Ice-Skating while as Winter Games Association J&K will also conduct four district level events in Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Drass and Patnitop resorts of State,” he added.

He said that skiing courses that Department of Youth Service and Sports (DYSS), Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) and various other organizations conduct may also get delayed due to late snowfall.

“Normally this time of the season IISM skiing coaching courses would have started but due to late snowfall it has not taken off yet. We have lot of events proposed to be started in January. But yes, the hosting of these events depends on snowfall,” he said.

He said that Tourism department’s annual snow carnival that features events like sledging, night skiing, ice-skating camp, ice-hockey and various other events is likely to be held in second week of January.

“The top level foreign skiers who visit Gulmarg for high attitude alpine skiing keep track of snow conditions through internet, friends and other modes of information. They plan their trips according to snow condition and updates,” he said.