Blog

Srinagar: In a major concern, glaciers are melting at a rapid pace in Jammu and Kashmir with the government seeming least bothered to take any preventive measures.

The climatic change has become a global phenomenon and it has a significant impact on the ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir. The melting of glaciers has become a serious issue in Jammu and Kashmir with government seems least interesting in protecting them.

“Kolahoi glacier has rapidly receded due to climatic changes prevalent over the Kashmir region. The glacier has lost 23% area since 1962 (from 13.73 sq km in 1962 to 10.49 sq km in 2018) and has fragmented into smaller parts.

The snout retreat rates also suggest that the glacier has been in an imbalanced state between 1962 and 2018 and is not approaching equilibrium,” a recent research paper has revealed.

Earth scientist and prominent glaciologist, Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, who heads the department of Earth Sciences at University of Kashmir has been one of the authors of the paper.

An official of the Environment Department said that the government has failed to monitor or conduct any research on glaciers in the UT.

“We are yet to know the number of glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir since there are many untapped glaciers and the government is not concerned about their preservation,” the official told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service.

The official said that current glacial extents are out of balance with current climatic conditions. “It indicates that glaciers will continue to shrink in the future even without further temperature increase,” the official said.

Former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had said there was a need for more scientific studies to conclusively establish the link between climate change and shrinking glaciers. “Government has taken no steps to conduct any research and know the reasons for the receding of glaciers,” the official said.

The official said that government has paid “no attention” towards environment. “Not only glaciers, every environmental aspect has been ignored here,” he said.

Experts have expressed serious concern over the melting of glaciers in the Valley especially the Thajwas and Kalohai glaciers.

The preservation of glaciers comes under the domain of the Ecology and Environment Department.

In the action plan on climatic changes of the earth science department, it says the climate change cell mentions the annual temperature is projected to increase from 0.9 +/- 0.6 degree Celsius to 2.6 +/- 0.7degree Celsius by 2030.

It has recommended the government to ban the fuel driven vehicles in environment fragile places to restrict melting of glaciers. The action plan has called for the promotion of battery operated (charged from solar power) transport systems in places falling in the vicinity of the glaciers.(KINS)

Srinagar: The Lieutenant Governor Manooj Sinha led administration has directed authorities involved in review of corruption cases to examine a list of deadwood and dishonest officers to increase trust and transparency in the system.

The direction comes amid LG Manoj Sinha’s promise over the fixing accountability of government officers.

Highly placed sources told news agency KINS that the details of officials with dubious integrity is likely to be taken up and the government will examine vigilance reports, data available about the officers in the departments for the legal action.

“A strong directive will be issued to all the departments to carry out a review of deadwood and corrupt officers,” sources maintained.
LG Manoj Sinha recently in a message had said that “emphasis must be on putting in place effective preventive measures and spreading awareness to eradicate corruption.

Meanwhile one of the top officials in the Anti-Corruption wing Kashmir told KINS that they have clear instructions from the higher-ups to ensure that investigation into all the corruption cases as well as other pending FIRs is completed as expeditiously as possible so as to pave the way for presentation of challans in the Anti-Corruption Courts and securing maximum conviction,”

Sources said in the coming months the focus of the investigating agencies will also shift on the officials, who have amassed huge wealth through illegal means.

“Even the former officers involved in corrupt practices will not be spared and they will be thoroughly investigated,” sources revealed.
Sources said that after the abrogation of Article 370, there has been a sharp rise in registration of corruption cases against higher officials involved in alleged malpractices.

Sources reveal that around 150 FIRs have been registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) since July, 2019 against officials, which include, some chief engineers, superintendent and executive engineers, and senior officers of forest, health, rural development and other departments.

Sources said that fresh cases were registered against those officers, who were of the opinion that they will never be touched after committing huge frauds due to their close proximity with the then ruling class of the erstwhile state.

The allegations against officers, which formed the basis for registration of FIRs, include misuse of official position, demand and acceptance of bribe, illegal appointments, embezzlement of funds, allowing of illegal constructions by obtaining pecuniary benefits, possessing disproportionate assets, tampering of official records, facilitating encroachment of government land, use of sub-standard construction material, vesting of ownership rights of land illegally and forgery etc.

It is to be mentioned here that the Centre’s Prevention of Corruption Act in Jammu and Kashmir has stringent provisions to combat corruption.

Anti-graft bodies were working under Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, which has been replaced by Centre’s Prevention of Corruption Act.

There are certain provisions under this newly implemented Act which empowers anti-graft bodies to fight with corruption in the new Union Territory.

“In order to influence a public servant, by corrupt or illegal means, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall be not less than three year but may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine”.

Under this Act, abetment by a public servant of offences shall be punishable with imprisonment not less than six months but which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.

“Any public servant, who commits criminal misconduct, shall be punishable with imprisonment not less than one year but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine,” the Act reads.(KINS)

Srinagar: Welcoming the move by administration to conduct Covid-19 test for shopkeepers and traders, Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) on Saturday said that the initiative will create a sense of security among shopkeepers and consumers.

According to statement issued to KNS, Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) President Ajaz Shahdhar said that for past four days, the administration in Srinagar has carried out a comprehensive drive to investigate the Covid-19 among traders on war footing with positive and far reaching results. He said that if the initiative had been launched earlier, it would have yielded significant achievements so far, but it would also have been helpful in preventing the spread of pandemic now.

“It is not too late, but if the scope of these tests is seriously expanded and they are conducted in the markets of towns and other areas, the drive will be helpful”, he said.

President KTA said that there will be a sense of security among shopkeepers and traders and it can be profitable for businesses as well.

He hoped that Divisional Commissioner would reconsider its policy of reopening shops and other business establishments in alternative days, so that traders and business community could come out of the damage they suffered from last six months.

“Shopkeepers have been tested for Covid-19, there is no reason to keep these markets closed on alternate days, but they should be allowed to continue trading in these markets for a full week”, Shahdhar said. (KNS)

PTI

New Delhi: Taking a dig at the government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said its “well planned fight” against coronavirus has allegedly put India in an “abyss” of GDP reduction of 24 per cent, 12 crore job losses, 15.5 lakh crore additional stressed loans and globally highest daily COVID-19 cases and deaths.

The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of not handling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. The government has dismissed all such claims in the past.

“Modi Govt’s ‘well-planned fight’ against Covid has put India in an abyss of: 1. Historic GDP reduction of 24% 2. 12 crore jobs lost 3. 15.5 lac crores additional stressed loans 4. Globally highest daily Covid cases & deaths,” Gandhi said in a tweet.

But for the government of India and the media “sab changa si (all is well)”, the former Congress chief said.

India’s COVID-19 caseload has gone past 46 lakh, while 36,24,196 people have recuperated so far taking the national recovery rate to 77.77 per cent on Saturday, according to Union health ministry data.

Later, in another tweet, Gandhi said there was no hope of job creation and safe future for youth anytime soon.

Tagging a report quoting Unilever global chief executive Alan Jope as saying that increasing COVID-19 cases is a worrying trend in India, Gandhi tweeted, “One of India’s biggest employers is in ‘wait and see’ mode since Covid cases are rising.

“So, no hope of job creation & safe future for youth anytime soon. Yet another outcome of Modi Govt’s sudden & unplanned lockdown which has snowballed India’s already-precarious economy,” he said.

PTI

Leh: Two more coronavirus positive elderly persons succumbed to the infection in Ladakh, bringing the number of deaths linked to the disease to 38 in the Union Territory, officials said on Saturday.

Both the deaths were reported from Leh district on Friday, the officials said.

The deceased, aged 98 and 82, had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back, they said. The officials said the two were also suffering from other ailments and age-related issues.

Of the total COVID-19 deaths in Ladakh, 15 were reported in Leh and 23 in Kargil district, they said.

Ladakh had recorded a virus caseload of 3,228 till Friday evening. According to the officials, while 2,378 COVID-19 patients recovered from the infection, 803 others are under treatment in the UT — 452 in Leh and 351 in Kargil.

PTI

Jammu: Three persons, including a 26-year-old woman and her newborn, were killed and five persons injured on Saturday when a van skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, police said.

The accident took place near Dhanas village and it is suspected that the driver lost control over the vehicle at a blind curve, a police official said.

The vehicle was coming from Chenani, he said.

The injured persons were rescued and hospitalised, the official said, adding that the condition of two of them has been stated as serious.

The woman, Shaanu Devi, and her child died on the spot, while a 50-year-old person succumbed during treatment, he said.

PTI

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said education is the guiding force behind human development and the universities, through New Education Policy-2020, must empower youth to make the union territory a centre of knowledge, enterprise, innovation and skill development.

The LG, who is Chancellor of the University of Jammu, made these remarks while chairing the 86th meeting of the University Council of the Jammu University at Raj Bhavan here, an official spokesperson said.

He said some major decisions were made during the meeting and the Lt Governor gave a go-ahead to the demand of increasing the stipend of research scholars from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

The council also accorded in-principle approval for setting up of research cluster in the Jammu University, he said.

Directions were issued by the Lt Governor to work out the modalities and take steps for the promotion of Dogri language in the Jammu University and Kashmiri language in Kashmir University, he said.

Sinha stressed that literary works in the two languages be encouraged and translations of the existing works in other languages of the country also be initiated for the promotion of the culture, traditions, and heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.

The LG passed explicit directions for conducting a comprehensive assessment of research activities in the universities for outlining their role in the overall welfare of society and also called for the promotion of research aimed at solving local problems of the union territory, the spokesperson said.

Underlining the importance of all overall development of students, Sinha called for increased participation of students in co-curricular activities like NSS, NCC, sports and music.

Sinha said that students should be encouraged to participate in social activities.

Discussing the issue of reservation, the LG directed that modality for extending the UT’s reservation policy in all universities across J-K be finalized in mission mode, the spokesperson said.

While reviewing the working and curriculum of the universities, the LG asked the vice-chancellors to put added efforts and work in tandem for promoting excellence in teaching, research, and extension activities.

Sinha advised university authorities to boost academic research by the uplifting necessary environment, updating e-learning and other teaching tools, and providing the students with the best educational resources and platforms, the spokesperson said.

Sinha highlighted the need for research and incubation centres for the universities and underscored that higher education without them is incomplete.

He reiterated that education should act as the biggest catalyst for change, saying when education is the guiding force behind human development, humans are no longer limited to a resource as they become assets for society.

The Lt Governor hailed the New Education Policy and said it will empower the youth towards nation-building.

Under the policy, he said, critical thinking shall be encouraged in addition to the development of skills and hands-on-learning.

A special focus has been given to accessibility, equality, quality, affordability, and accountability in the education sector in the new policy, Sinha said.

The LG also laid stress on developing a curriculum based on students’ feedback and said that feedback processing is a globally accepted practice and it helps lend a different perspective to the existing pedagogy, the spokesperson said.

Srinagar: In violation of government guidelines, several people are hosting Wazwan to large gatherings while organizing marriage ceremonies in Kashmir.

The new norms, which have been set in place, restrict the number of guests between 30 and 50 — depending on the threat perception based zones.

As per government directives, wedding ceremonies require prior permission and social-distancing is mandatory.

However, in Kashmir, several people are organizing marriage ceremonies but don’t adhere to safety guidelines and government directives.

“Recently, a marriage event was organized where around 150 guests were invited. Most of the guests were without facemasks. The COVID-19 precautionary measures were thrown into dustbin,” Mushtaq Ahmad, a Srinagar resident told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Some people said that the government directives have dramatically changed the idea of wedding ceremonies in Kashmir, where such occasions are rare coming together of extended families and friends for several days of feasting.

“Asking to follow guidelines is good and maintaining social distancing, wearing facemask are great. But limiting the number of guests on marriage just to 30 to 50 is not favourable,” said Ghulam Muhammad, who postponed his daughter’s marriage to next year.

He said his family was preparing for a lavish feast for several hundred guests as she has only one daughter brough up with care and love.
“The day of her marriage is a dream to me and my family. We want to make it memorable day. It was not impossible to shortlist thirty or fifty guests,” he said.

Police on Thursday registered an FIR against the head of the family in Solina area of Srinagar. The family had invited a large number of guests to solemnize a marriage ceremony.

“Preliminary inquiry revealed that the banging sounds in the Solina area that created panic were due to the bursting of firecrackers at the marriage in the house at Solina Payeen. The owner of the house has violated the orders of the District Magistrate, Srinagar, and had also called a large number of invitees to his house which was a clear violation of Covid standard operating procedures, thereby endangering the lives of others,” the spokesman had said.
The wedding season in Kashmir is scheduled during summer and autumn seasons and involves several months of hectic preparations.(KINS)