Month: March 2016

Wildlife team goes all out to rescue hangul, finds sambar

Editor

The Wildlife Department had got a team of officials from Dehradun to rescue a ‘trapped hangul’ from the Chenab in Kishtwar district, but it turned out to be a sambar — an exceptionally good swimmer. Since Thursday afternoon, Wildlife officials along with the police were busy tracking the deer in the water to rescue it. They even requested experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, to help in the rescue operation. However, being a good swimmer, the sambar managed to swim across the river on Friday evening. “We…

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BJP sets terms for Mehbooba; Take charge then only we will unveil CBMs

Editor

The Union Government is unlikely to announce any Kashmir-centric confidence- building measures at this point of time even though PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has extended an olive branch to the saffron party for restitching the alliance. The BJP high command has asked Mehbooba to take over as Chief Minister of the state to get the package, both political and financial, as it is opposed to the idea of announcing CBMs before the alliance is restitched. Mehbooba, while addressing party workers at Kupwara in north Kashmir on March 8, had termed…

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Rain lashes Valley, Avalanche warning issued for hilly areas of state

Editor

The authorities issued avalanche warning for several places in the state after moderate rain lashed the Kashmir valley on Friday. The day temperature plummeted five notches down from normal 14°C in Srinagar as higher reaches received mild snow. The Ski resort of Gulmarg received moderate snow, while it rained the entire day in the plains. The Meteorological Department spokesman said western disturbances unleashed torrential rain in Kashmir with Srinagar receiving 8 mm rain while Pahalgam received 10 mm rain bringing down the temperature. He said rain would continue across Kashmir…

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Leh highway may reopen by March 25

Editor

Less snowfall paves way for early opening of Ladakh lifeline Less snowfall has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the arid Ladakh region this year as the strategic 434-km Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway, the lifeline of the country’s cold desert, is likely to be opened to traffic by March 25, almost one and a half months earlier than its opening last year. The highway usually remains closed for more than five months from December to first week of May due to accumulation of heavy snow at Zojila — the…

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IMF plan to organise mountain climbing marathon in Kashmir

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Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) plans to organise a mountain climbing marathon and youth festivals in Jammu and Kashmir with the aim of boosting adventure sports in the state. IMF would organise mountain climbing marathon in August end besides the youth festivals in all the three regions of the state so that youth are attracted to adventure sports and also to provide employment to local youth, its president Col (Retd) H S Chauhan said at a meeting chaired by Principal Secretary Tourism Sandip Naik here. Col Chauhan said the state youth…

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Avalanche warning in Jammu & Kashmir

Editor

‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning for areas above 3,000 metres in Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipur, Kargil, Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam, Rajauri, Doda and Poonch districts of JK. An avalanche warning was, on  Friday issued for higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking people not to venture in these areas over the next 48 hours. An advisory was issued by the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chandigarh. ‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning exists for avalanche prone areas above 3,000 metres in Baramulla,…

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Four youth injured in clashes

Editor

Four youth suffered pellet injuries as intermittent clashes between stone pelting protesters and law enforcing agencies continued for the third day in Qoimoh area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district where a Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed on Sunday. The youth were injured when security forces fired pellet guns and burst tear gas shells to disperse stone-pelting protesters during a clash at village Khudwani, 57 km from here, a police officer said. He said while Rouf, Sayeed Ashiq and Tufail Dar suffered injuries in their eyes, Ayan Ahmad received injuries in…

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Farooq defends Indian Army, demands action against Kanhaiya

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Demands action against Kanhaiya for accusing army men of raping women in Kashmir National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday defended Indian army saying “one who speaks against defense forces is not a right man”. “Go and ask him (Kanhaiya Kumar) why he is spitting venom against Indian Army,” Abdullah told reporters in Udhampur today. The media men sought his reaction over allegations of JNUs student leader Kahnhaiya Kumar that Indian Army was raping women in Kashmir. “One who speaks against Indian army is not the…

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Take immediate action against encroachments on saffron fields; Govt

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Taking a serious note of illegal constructions and encroachments on saffron fields, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have ordered immediate legal action against the violators. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asghar Samoon also constituted a committee to look into the illegal constructions and asked it to report to him on weekly basis, an official spokesman said here. He said Samoon passed the directions while chairing a high-level meeting regarding the illegal constructions on saffron fields. The committee comprises Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Joint Director Agriculture and concerned Tehsildars. Divisional Commissioner was informed that…

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Mobile tower commissioned at Phila Sal Sal in Ladakh

Editor

A mobile tower has been commissioned at Phila Sal Sal in Ladakh region under a joint initiative by the Leh-based 14 Corps and BSNL. The requisite infrastructure for the project at Phila Sal Sal was provided by the Army. “BSNL moved its resources from Jammu, which were airlifted to Leh and further placed at a location under the aegis of 14 Corps Signalers. The initiative by the Army will benefit local residents and tourists visiting the area,” said a Defence spokesperson. Ladakh region has a poor communication network due to…

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