Category: Environment

Environment

‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning for Jammu and Kashmir

Editor

A ‘medium danger’ avalanche warning was issued for higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir, advising people not to venture in these areas over the next 24 hours. An advisory to this effect was issued today by Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment ( SASE), which comes under the Ministry of Defence, here. ‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning exists for avalanche prone areas above 3500 metres altitude of Kupwara, Ganderbal, Baramula and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the advisory said.

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Dal Lake Conservation Case

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Expressing displeasure over absence of top officers including Chief Secretary in Dal Lake conservation case, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday observed that all the constitutional, statutory and administrative authorities are “servants of laws.” “The court would have initiated action in accordance with law against these authorities but in view of the request by Senior Additional Advocate General N A Beigh, we defer at this stage initiation of proceedings against them,” a bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey observed. Hearing a Public interest…

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HC disappointed, says 14 years on, desired results yet to be realised for preservation of Dal Lake

Editor

Demonstrating its disappointment, the J&K High Court on Thursday observed that despite issuing directions aimed at preservation of the Dal Lake and other water bodies for the last 14 years, “desired results” had not been “concretised till date”. The court, in an effort to put in place a “permanent mechanism” for the preservation of water bodies, including the Dal, and “settle the matter”, sought the presence of Chief Secretary and Commissioner Secretaries of Tourism, Housing, Urban Development, Finance and Planning Departments on the next hearing. The directions were issued by…

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Experts raise alarm over dumping of Jhelum’s dredged material

Editor

Despite the Central government’s financial support, the dredging of the Jhelum has put the J&K Government in a difficult situation as the disposal of excavated material may need over thousands of kanals. Experts have raised an alarm as the department is disposing silt and sand excavated from the river in low-lying areas of Srinagar which may lead to another 2014-like floods. Urban planner Iftikhar Drabu said the dumping of the excavated material in “low-lying areas or water bodies” around the city would create another catastrophe. A Kolkata-based company, Reach Dredgers,…

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Admin caught napping on Achen landfill site, scientific disposal of waste

Editor

Leachate treatment plant dysfunctional, no soiling done Even as over 3,000 metric tons of garbage continues to mount on the streets of the summer capital since March 5, when protests erupted against the dumping of waste at Achen, the basic point is that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has failed in the scientific disposal of the solid waste at the sole landfill site here. This correspondent during an on-the-spot visit of the landfill site found that two essential laid down guidelines for scientific disposal of waste –the leachate treatment and soiling…

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Wildlife team goes all out to rescue hangul, finds sambar

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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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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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Migratory birds bid early adieu to Kashmir as temperature rises

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Thousands of migratory birds are bidding an early adieu to Kashmir this year because of unusually hot temperatures and scant rain and snowfall. “Normally, the migration back to summer homes from the Valley by the migratory bird species starts by the middle of March, but due to unusual rise in temperatures and scant precipitation during the winter months, these avian visitors are leaving earlier this year,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone, wildlife warden (Wetlands Kashmir). Lone said many species of migratory birds including Pintails, Mallards, Pochards, Wigeons and Shovellers have already…

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Floriculture Dept to plant 12000 chinars in Valley

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In order to go green, Department of Floriculture on Tuesday launched a massive plantation drive, while as 12, 000 Chinar tree saplings would be planted across Kashmir region. Director, Department of Floriculture, Talat Parvez told , that around 12, 000 Chinar tree saplings would be planted across Kashmir region. He informed that 40 established fiery (Chinar) trees would be taken to plant in Ladakh region during ongoing year- 2016. Parvez said that more than 8,000 royal tree saplings have been planted so far across valley. The Plantation drive has been led…

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Guv inspects Jhelum dredging, directs officials to speed up work

Editor

J&K Governor N N Vohra on Sunday directed the Chief Engineer of Irrigation & Flood Control Department and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to take up a cleanliness drive of river Jhelum and also called for quick dredging of the water body. During his tour of the Flood Spill Channel at Shivpora, the Governor directed officials to ensure that the ongoing dredging works are carried out speedily and completed well in time. The Governor, who was informed that the mechanical dredging at the site would be dredging out a mass of 200-250…

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