REGIONAL

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that Jammu Kashmir is facing a water crisis this year, and he will be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department intends to take to address the situation. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Omar Abdullah stated that J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. “It’s not a recent phenomenon; it’s actually been building up for a few years now,” he said, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) Omar emphasized that the government alone cannot handle the crisis and that people need to take measures for water conservation. “While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management and conservation, it can’t just be a government-centric approach. All of us residents of Jammu Kashmir will have to...

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself dead with his service rifle in Jammu Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Tuesday, officials said. The jawan was part of a road opening party deployed in Tikri area along Jammu-Srinagar national highway when he shot himself dead, they said. They said the deceased was identified as Praveen Patil, a resident of Maharashtra. The motive behind his extreme step was not known immediately, the officials said, adding that police have started inquest proceedings in this connection.

The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has announced a 30-hour water supply disruption in major parts of Srinagar and adjoining areas on February 22 and 23 due to the repair work of the Sindh Power Canal HEP Old Ganderbal and the desilting of its forebay. According to an official notification, the shutdown is being carried out by the Department of Civil Investigation & Design Wing, JKPDC, Kashmir and will affect raw water supplies to key Water Treatment Plants, including Nishat, Alusteng, and Rangil. The water supply will remain severely affected in the following areas: Zakoora, Gulab Bagh, Alusteng, Shuhama, Hadoora, Chatterhama, Khalmulla, Habak, Naseem Bagh, Busserbagh, Malla Bagh, Pandach, Buchpora, Soura, Anchar, Bohlouhpora, Zoonimar, Nowshera, Bagh-i-Ali Mardan ...

Owing to the less snowfall and low water level, in the past one month, the hydel power generation from the power plants across Jammu Kashmir has further reduced by five percent. Overall, the hydro power generation from the local plants in Jammu Kashmir has reduced by 84.17 percent. In the month of January, the Power Development Department (PDD) was generating nearly 250 Megawatts of power from the local hydel projects that amounts to 20 percent of the total generation capacity. However, in the ongoing month, the power generation has further reduced by five percent. A top official of the department informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “In the month of January, PDD on an average was generating nearly 250 MWs of power from the power plants across Jammu Kashmir.”...

In a major seizure, police in Kathua district on Tuesday intercepted a Kashmir-bound vehicle and recovered a huge stash of cash hidden inside a specially designed cavity. The Creta car, traveling from Punjab to Kashmir, was stopped at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, for routine checking when security personnel discovered the concealed money. According to officials, the recovered cash is believed to be around ₹2 crore. The Income Tax Department has been alerted about the seizure, and further investigation is underway. The two occupants of the car, both residents of Kashmir, were taken into custody for questioning to ascertain the source and purpose of the money. Authorities suspect possible links to illegal financial activities.

Shabir Khan Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and a fine of ₹45,000 after being convicted for sexually abusing multiple minors under the guise of spiritual healing. The sentence, handed down by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Baramulla, Mir Wajahat, was issued on February 18, 2025, after a lengthy trial. Advocate Ayesha Zaheer, speaking to The Kashmiriyat, confirmed the sentence, stating, "The court has imposed a fine of ₹45,000 and a 14-year prison term on the accused for his heinous crimes." The case, filed under FIR No. 22/2016 on March 2, 2016, was brought to court by the father of one of the victims. The prosecution, led by Advocate Mirza Zahid Khalil, argued that the accused exploited his religious influence to abuse vulnerable children, causing se...

Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone has raised serious concerns over alleged delays in issuing certificates such as those for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Reserved Backward Area (RBA) in Kashmir, calling for introspection within the bureaucracy. In a post on X, Lone questioned the disparity in the issuance of such certificates between the two provinces of Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the approval rate in Jammu is "much much higher" than in Kashmir. He emphasized that the issue lies with Kashmiri officers themselves, as "90% of such officers in Kashmir are Kashmiris." Lone cited the case of an impoverished man seeking an EWS certificate for his child’s medical treatment outside the Union Territory but facing bureaucratic hurdles. He appealed to Chief Minister O...

The snowless winter and prolonged dry spell have deterred the recharging of water reservoirs with majority of the streams and river Jhelum flowing at below ‘zero level’. According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), river Jhelum, the lifeline of Kashmir, continues to witness the receding water level. At Sangam, the Jhelum’s water level has touched -1.01 ft, which is below the Reduced Level (RL) of zero of gauge while at Ram Munshi Bagh, it stood at 3.52 feet and at Asham, the level has fallen to 0.75 feet. As per the Irrigation & Flood Control Department’s ‘Kashmir Flood Watch’, some of the nallahs including Lidder, Rambiyara, Ferozpora (Drung) and Pohru (Seelu) are also flowing below the RL of zero of gauge. The officials from I&FC Department stated that th...

The prolonged dry spell has significantly impacted the tourism industry, with a noticeable decline in bookings and a rise in cancellations, particularly in Gulmarg, a top winter destination. Aqib Chaya, a prominent hotelier and President of the Hoteliers Club Gulmarg, highlighted that the severe shortage of snowfall this season has affected business across the valley. Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Chaya said that the postponement of the 2025 Khelo India Winter Games has further dented the tourism sector, leading to substantial cancellations. He added that beyond the Khelo India event, the lack of snow has resulted in a 20–30% decline in business in Gulmarg and a 50% dip in other destinations like Pahalgam and Srinagar. “The industry, which usually thrive...

Mohan Lal’s home in Kanthan-A once overlooked rolling hills, the winding Chenab River, and fields that had sustained his family for generations. Today, the world’s highest railway bridge dominates that view, a towering structure of steel and concrete. Instead of bringing prosperity, the bridge has left his village cut off, his fields dry, and his future uncertain. "They took our land, blocked our water, and now we watch the trains pass by, knowing we will never be part of this progress," he says. The villages of Bakkal and Kauri, nestled on either side of the Chenab River, are now etched into history because of the bridge that connects them. This bridge, standing 359 meters above the riverbed and stretching 1,315 meters in total, is a critical part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramul...