‘12 encroachers have grabbed 0.83 hectares of forest land in ‘ Patnitop’ Nearly 50 hectares of prime forest land in Jammu and Kashmir has been encroached by 221 land grabbers, including 57 state government employees, in four famous tourist resorts of Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Patnitop and Aharbal. As per an official report of State Forest Ministry, 217 people including influential persons and government employees have encroached on 49.99 hectares (nearly 124 acres) of prime forest land in the four tourist resorts. Pahalgam with its dense forests and picturesque hills has seen…
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Environment
Prioritize issues confronting Dal conservation: High Court to Govt
Observing that despite spending of hundreds of crores on conservation of Dal Lake, Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday held that desired results were not seen on ground and directed the government to prioritize issues confronting conservation of the water body. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation on conservation of Dal Lake, a division bench of Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey directed the government to upgrade two Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) that are currently treating the effluents flowing into Dal from its adjoining areas. After hearing Amicus…
Read MoreCVPPL paid 433 Cr compensation to forest for Hydropower Project
State-run Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited has paid Rs 433 crores as compensation to Forest Department for diversion of forest land for Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Power project. The compensation includes diversion of forest land on the right bank of Marusadar river, land of Kishtwar high altitude national park and a corpus fund for protection and conservation of wildlife, an officer of the state Power Department said. Rs 17.80 crores have been paid to the Forest Department for diversion of 164.66 hectares of forest land on the right bank of…
Read More16 years on, SMC fails to implement Solid Waste Management Rules
“Waste segregation costs nothing and takes hardly any extra time. It’s a matter of understanding and more about responsible behavior,” said an expert. Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has failed to implement Solid Waste Management Rules —2000 (SWMR), the much needed to dispose bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste in segregation. Under SWMR, segregation of waste at source has been declared important process as it solves half the city’s problem of waste management. Under these rules, scientific disposal of solid waste through segregation, collection and treatment and disposal in an environmentally sound manner…
Read MoreCurrent Snow spells infuse life into Jhelum
Water level in the river had dropped to record low in December The water level in the Jhelum, which had dropped to an unprecedented low, is back to normal following heavy snow spells in the past one month. The river is flowing two or three feet above the zero point for the past fortnight after registering a record low water level in December. On Friday, the water level in the river at Sangam in south Kashmir was recorded at two feet, officials of the Flood and Irrigation Department said. The…
Read MoreKashmir Valley sees widest whiteout in 25 Years
With three spells of heavy snowfall of over 16.2cm in January alone, Kashmir Valley turned picture postcard beautiful receiving the thickest whiteout in 25 years. Meteorological department officials said a total of 23cm snowfall has been recorded so far in the Valley this year, and predictions have indicated more snow in the upcoming days. The last time the Valley saw so much snow was in 1992. In February 2006, it had snowed heavily too, but not comparable to this year with falling snowflakes coinciding with ‘chillai kalan’ – the term…
Read More‘Chillai Kalan’ tightens grip across Kashmir Valley, Leh coldest at -17.7°C
The ‘Chillai kalan’ has crossed the halfway mark and tightened its grip in the region leading to shivers and freezing cold as the Leh town in the Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as it shivered at the season’s lowest temperature of -17.7 °C – down nearly two degrees from yesterday’s -16 °C, an official at the Meteorological Department said. The tourist resort of Gulmarg, 50 km from here in north Kashmir, which attracts more snow skiers during winters, recorded the lowest temperature of -13.5…
Read MoreLife during Chillai Kalan, Kashmir’s harshest period of winter
The Valley is cloaked in white, the sun has all but disappeared and the most promising source of heat is the kanger, the traditional fire pot. The air is tinged with blue and grey, filled plumes of smoke and burnt wood. Pools of water on the streets freeze over, only to crack with a harsh sound when stepped on. This is chillai kalan, the 40 harshest days of winter in Kashmir that begins on December 21. Till the end of January, life in the Valley is going to be slow-placed…
Read MoreMinus the snow, New Year festivity minimal this time
Even as Kashmir is going through a prolonged dry spell with life limping back to the usual after the summer unrest, there will be no major New Year celebrations in the Valley. New Year revellers along with tourists usually celebrate the occasion at Gulmarg but the North Kashmir ski resort is awaiting snowfall. A few high-end hotels will be holding low-profile private parties and events on New Year’s Eve but most of the other hotels have decided to give the celebrations a miss. “There will be no New Year gala…
Read MoreLess snowfall in Kashmir valley leaves experts, tourists worried
Over the past three years, the month of December has twice been dry in the picturesque Kashmir valley, a phenomenon that has worried environmentalists and disappointed tourists. This year, it is for the sixth time since 1993 when Kashmir saw a dry, or almost dry, month of December. Apart from a brief spell of snow or light rains on December 11 and 12 this year, local residents and tourists have been looking ahead to snow in the mountains and plains. In Kashmir, the harshest period of winter starts from December…
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