Month: December 2024

A former deputy superintendent of police and his three-year-old grandson were among six people who suffocated to death when their rented accommodation caught fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district early on Wednesday, an official said. Four other people injured in the incident were undergoing treatment in a hospital. According to police, locals noticed the house on fire around 2:30 am and rushed to rescue its occupants. The house was filled with thick smoke, suffocating its occupants in their sleep, they said. The victims were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Kathua where six of them, including two minors, were declared 'brought dead', officials said. The deceased have been identified as 81-year-old former deputy SP Avtar Krishen Raina, his daught...

Srinagar’s eco-friendly city bus service, launched in November 2023, has seen substantial growth, with 61.33 lakh passengers transported between January and November 2024. The service operates across 16 routes, with an average of 30,000 daily riders. September recorded the highest passenger count, over 7.2 lakh, while August saw more than 6.8 lakh passengers. In its inaugural month, November 2023, the service had 1.3 lakh passengers, rising to over 3.25 lakh by December 2023. The fleet includes 100 electric buses, consisting of 75 nine-metre and 25 twelve-metre variants, with two additional buses on standby. The buses feature advanced amenities such as air conditioning, air curtains, inbuilt CCTV surveillance for enhanced safety, and elevators and ramps for passengers with limi...

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday to discuss a range of key issues, including the early restoration of statehood, official sources said.Jammu local businesses. This will be Omar’s second meeting with the Home Minister since assuming office as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory. Sources indicate that Omar, who received “positive assurances” during his first meeting, remains optimistic that the Union Government will fulfill its promise of restoring statehood at the earliest. However, while the Union Government has repeatedly assured its commitment to the restoration of statehood, it has yet to provide a concrete timeline for the same. In addition to statehood, Omar is likely to raise concerns regarding...

Eight river stretches in Jammu Kashmir have been identified as polluted, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The information, revealed in response to a starred question by Sanjna Jatav, underscores the growing environmental pressure on rivers across the country, particularly in regions near urban centers and industrial zones. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has marked 311 polluted river stretches across 279 rivers in India. Maharashtra leads with 55 polluted stretches, followed by Madhya Pradesh (19), Bihar and Kerala (18 each), and Karnataka (17). These findings highlight the widespread contamination of rivers, which serve as critical lifelines for drinking water, agriculture, and biodiversity. In Jamm...

A day after reports emerged about the destruction of Karewas in the Parigam Newa area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama, authorities have canceled all related permits. Locals had raised concerns, alleging that the Karewas, which are unique elevated plateaus, were being disfigured under the guise of development work. District Mineral Officer, Er Manzoor, clarified that the permits for clay extraction were initially issued for government projects of an emergent nature, following the necessary approvals and No Objection Certificates (NOCs). He told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that after reports surfaced indicating violations of regulations, the permits were promptly revoked, and the access ramps to the site were dismantled. Locals earlier had expressed concern over the environment...