Kashmir Archives | Page 3 of 230

Kashmir’s Smart Meter Rollout Sparks Power Bill Shock: Why Households Are Paying More and What It Means for the Valley

January 23, 2026 Editor

Kashmir’s Smart Meter Push: When Modernisation Meets Public Anger Over Power Bills By: Javid Amin | 22 January 2026 For decades, electricity in Kashmir followed a familiar rhythm—erratic supply, predictable billing, and public frustration that rarely spilled onto the streets. That balance has now been disrupted. Across towns and villages in the Valley, the government’s push to replace traditional electricity connections with smart meters has ignited widespread protests, sharp political reactions, and a growing trust deficit between consumers and power authorities. What was projected as a technological upgrade promising transparency,…

Kashmir Continues to Freeze as Winter Storms Loom, IMD Warns of Snowfall and Rainfall

January 21, 2026 Editor

Severe Cold Wave Grips Kashmir as IMD Predicts Snowfall and Rainfall By: Javid Amin |20 January 2026 Kashmir in the Grip of a Relentless Cold Wave Kashmir continues to endure an intense cold spell as winter tightens its grip across the Valley. Sub-zero night temperatures have become routine, freezing water bodies, hardening the ground, and disrupting daily life. Srinagar, the summer capital, has repeatedly recorded temperatures well below freezing, underlining the severity of the ongoing cold wave. The harsh conditions coincide with Chilai Kalan, Kashmir’s traditional 40-day period of extreme…

Kashmir Faces One of the Driest Winters in Decades as Rainfall Deficit Touches 85 Per Cent

January 19, 2026 Editor

Kashmir’s Driest Winter in Years: 85% Rainfall Deficit Raises Alarms Over Water, Agriculture, and Climate Stability By: Javid Amin | 18 January 2026 A Winter Without Water: Kashmir’s Alarming Dry Spell Kashmir is grappling with one of its driest winters in recent decades, as an unprecedented rainfall deficit of nearly 85 per cent has been recorded during what is traditionally the region’s most important precipitation season. From November 1, 2025, to January 17, 2026, the Valley received just 20.6 millimetres of precipitation, far below the normal average of 139 millimetres.…

Weather in Kashmir: An Anthemic Wake-Up Call We Can No Longer Ignore

January 17, 2026January 18, 2026 Umar Khan Amiri

By Umar Khan Amiri Kashmir has long been celebrated for its pristine climate, snow-clad winters, and life-giving rivers. But today, the changing weather patterns across Kashmir are not just a seasonal anomaly—they are an anthemic warning. A winter without snow, deficient rainfall, shrinking forests, rising pollution, and chaotic tourism together form a loud, unsettling chorus demanding urgent attention. For generations, snow in Kashmir was more than a spectacle; it was a system. Snowfall regulated temperatures, replenished groundwater, sustained agriculture, and powered hydropower projects. Today, prolonged dry spells and snowless winters…

‘US an Enemy of Muslims’: Mehbooba Mufti Accuses Washington of Regime-Change Politics

January 17, 2026 Editor

US Is an Enemy of Muslims, Says Mehbooba Mufti Amid Iran Crisis and Kashmir Rallies By: Javid Amin | 16 January 2026 Strong Words Amid Rising Global Tensions Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on January 16, 2026, launched a sharp attack on Washington, accusing it of being an “enemy of Muslims” and of systematically destabilizing Muslim-majority countries under the guise of democracy and human rights. Her remarks come at a sensitive moment, with: India issuing evacuation advisories for its…

Mosque Profiling Drive in Kashmir Triggers Political and Religious Outcry

January 14, 2026 Editor

Mosque Profiling Drive in Kashmir Sparks Political, Religious Backlash Why a Police Data Exercise Has Reignited Fears of Surveillance, Stigmatization, and Erosion of Religious Freedom in the Valley By: Javid Amin | 13 January 2026 A Data Exercise That Set Off Alarm Bells What began as a police “data-gathering exercise” has rapidly escalated into one of the most sensitive governance controversies in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s mosque profiling drive, carried out across multiple villages in the Valley, has triggered sharp political criticism and…

Cold Wave Grips Kashmir as Shopian Records –8.2°C, Snow and Rain Likely Later This Month

January 12, 2026 Editor

Cold Wave Grips Kashmir, Shopian Shivers at –8.2°C as Winter Deepens By: Javid Amin | 11 January 2026 Kashmir Slips Deeper Into Winter’s Grip Kashmir is firmly in the grip of deep winter, with a severe cold wave tightening across the Valley during Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day phase of winter. Night temperatures have plunged well below freezing in most districts, skies remain largely cloudy, and meteorologists say snow and rain are likely to build up later this month. South Kashmir’s Shopian district recorded the lowest temperature at –8.2°C, making…

Winter Writes in Sub-Zero Ink as Chillai Kalan Enters Peak Phase in Kashmir

January 11, 2026 Editor

Winter Writes in Sub-Zero Ink as Chillai Kalan Peaks, Shopian Coldest at –8.2°C By: Javid Amin | 10 January 2026 Winter Tightens Its Grip as Chillai Kalan Peaks Winter continues to write its story in sub-zero ink across Kashmir. As Chillai Kalan, the coldest 40-day stretch of winter, entered its peak phase, a biting cold wave gripped the Valley on Saturday, with night temperatures remaining well below freezing across most regions, despite marginal overnight relief in a few areas. Clear skies and dry conditions have intensified radiational cooling, keeping Kashmir…

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Barred From Friday Prayers for Third Consecutive Week at Srinagar Jama Masjid

January 10, 2026 Editor

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Says He Was Barred From Friday Prayers for Third Week at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid By: Javid Amin | 09 January 2026 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric, on Friday said he was prevented for the third consecutive week from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid, alleging that he was placed under house detention by authorities. According to the Mirwaiz, police vehicles and personnel were stationed outside his residence, restricting his movement and preventing him from reaching the mosque. What the Mirwaiz Has Claimed In a…

Chillai Kalan 2026: Dry Spell Deepens in Kashmir as Snow Eludes Plains

January 9, 2026 Editor

Chillai Kalan 2026: Dry Spell Raises Concerns as Kashmir Sees No Major Snowfall With 21 Days Left By: Javid Amin | 08 January 2026 Chillai Kalan Tightens Grip, but Snow Remains Elusive Kashmir is deep into Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter stretch, yet an unusual feature defines this year’s cold spell — intense freezing without widespread snowfall in the plains. With 21 days still remaining before Chillai Kalan ends on January 30, 2026, the Valley has crossed the halfway mark under a persistent dry spell. While higher reaches have…