REGIONAL

Fresh snowfall over the past 24 hours has blanketed Jammu and Kashmir, with various regions recording significant snow depths. The snowfall, which began Friday, has brought both disruptions and scenic beauty to the valley and surrounding areas In Anantnag district, snow depths ranged from 1 foot in Anantnag plains and Achabal to over 2 feet in Dooru and Qazigund. Pahalgam and Kokernag also recorded around 1.5 to 2 feet of fresh snow. Pulwama district saw snow depths of up to 1 foot in Awantipora and Drabgam, while Pulwama town recorded around 10 to 11 inches. Tral received 1 foot 3 inches, and Pampore saw 10 inches. Kulgam district experienced some of the heaviest snowfall, with depths exceeding 2 feet in Devsar Kulgam and DH Pora, while Aharbal also recorded over 2 feet of sno...

The snowfall in Srinagar on Thursday turned footpaths in several areas into treacherous zones for pedestrians, with many complaining about the poor choice of tiles used under the Srinagar Smart City Project. The smooth, glossy tiles installed on footpaths have become dangerously slippery after being covered with snow and ice, making walking difficult and unsafe for residents particularly in City Centre Srinagar. Pedestrians, especially the elderly and children reported frequent slips and falls, raising concerns about the practicality of these tiles in Srinagar city. "These tiles are not suitable for snowy weather. Walking on them feels like skating on ice,” a shopkeeper from Rajbagh told the news agency Kashmir News Trust. Many locals questioned the planning and execution of th...

The Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has released the date sheets for the Secondary School Examination (Class 10) and Higher Secondary Part-II Examination (Class 12) for the Annual Regular 2025 session in Soft Zone Areas of the Union Territory. The Class 10 examinations will commence on February 15, 2025, with Additional/Optional subjects, including Arabic, Kashmiri, Dogri, and others. Key dates include Social Science on February 17, Hindi/Urdu on February 20, and English on February 24. Vocational subjects are scheduled for February 27, while Science will be conducted on March 3, followed by Mathematics on March 10. The final exams for Class 10 include Music on March 17 and Painting/Art & Drawing on March 19. For Class 12, the examinations will also begi...

A tourist slipped into the icy waters of a river near Sangam Point in Leh-Ladakh on December 25, 2024, while sitting on a thin sheet of ice. The ice collapsed under him, causing him to fall into the freezing river. As per details available with The Kashmiriyat the missing tourist, identified as Jeenesh Nahar from Bangalore, has not been found since the incident, which occurred around 3 PM. Rescue operations involving the army and local police have been ongoing for over 24 hours, but harsh winter conditions have hindered progress Jeenesh’s family and friends have made an emotional appeal on social media, urging anyone with information or resources to assist in the search and report any leads to the authorities. The incident has sparked concerns over safety measures for touris...

A resident of Railway Colony, Nowgam, Umar Yaseen Shah, has been reported missing since midnight on December 22, 2024. "He was last seen traveling from Srinagar to Jammu in a black Mahindra Thar vehicle with registration number JK01AN9990," the family members said. Family members speaking to The Kashmiriyat have expressed deep concern over his disappearance and have filed a missing person FIR at the Nowgam Police Station. The family has urged the public to share any information about his whereabouts. "Individuals with relevant information are requested to contact the family immediately at 7889589052 or 7006768878," they said. "Please help us locate Umar Yaseen Shah. Your assistance is greatly appreciated," the family appealed.

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday linked uninterrupted electricity in the region to achieving 100% metering, addressing concerns over unscheduled power cuts and the strain on the electricity distribution system caused by unauthorized usage. Speaking to reporters, Abdullah highlighted the discrepancy between agreed consumption limits and actual usage. “There are individuals with agreements for using power for four bulbs but end up consuming electricity equivalent to four heaters. This overloads the system significantly,” he explained, urging residents to cooperate in regulating power consumption The harsh winter has exacerbated the region’s difficulties, with frozen water pipes adding to the population's struggles. Abdullah expressed optimism that snowfall c...

The Deputy Commissioner’s office in South Kashmir’s Pulwama has initiated the transfer of 4,834 kanals and 19 marlas of state land to establish a new campus for the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar in Hazratbal. In an official communication, the district administration announced the formation of a team to expedite the preparation of necessary revenue documents. The team includes officers and officials from various tehsils, including Naib Tehsildars from Newa and Kakapora, as well as revenue staff such as Girdawars and Patwaris from Trich, Parigam, Patalbagh, Kangan, and Newa. These officials have been instructed to report to the office of the Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Pulwama to begin their work. The office of the Deputy Commissioner has also circulated t...

Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley are experiencing an intense cold wave, with minimum temperatures plummeting to record lows. Daily life has been severely disrupted as freezing conditions have frozen water taps and pipelines, causing widespread water shortages. Adding to the hardship, frequent power cuts have left residents struggling to cope with the harsh winter. According to data compiled by Kashmir Weather, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -7.0°C, while Pulwama, Shopian, and Anantnag reported the coldest temperatures at -9.3°C. Pahalgam also witnessed bone-chilling cold at -8.6°C, with Bandipora recording -7.3°C and Baramulla -6.1°C. The coldest spot was Zojila, plunging to an extreme -25.0°C. Manan Khan, a resident of Lal Bazar, shared his frustra...

Kashmir’s leading tertiary care hospital, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, has registered over 5,200 cases of cancer this year alone, while over 50,000 cases have been recorded at the institute since 2014. According to details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a total of 5,200 new cancer registrations have been made at SKIMS Soura this year so far. Since 2014, the institute has documented 50,302 cases of cancer. The annual breakdown of cases shows 3,940 cases registered in 2014, 4,417 in 2015, 4,320 in 2016, 4,352 in 2017, 4,816 in 2018, 4,337 in 2019, 3,814 in 2020, 4,727 in 2021, 5,271 in 2022 and over 5,200 cases this year. Officials said there has been a steep rise in cancer cases in Kashmir. Among men, lung cancer is the mo...

The Cyber Police Kashmir has issued a stern warning to social media influencers and YouTubers, urging them to refrain from promoting betting apps, fraudulent investment schemes, and fake work-from-home job offers. Authorities have emphasized that endorsing such platforms is not only misleading but also a punishable offense under the law. The police, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated that they are closely monitoring these activities and will take strict legal action against individuals found advertising or supporting such fraudulent initiatives. "Attention Social Media Influencers & YouTubers: Refrain from promoting betting apps, fraudulent investment schemes, or fake work-from-home job offers. Such actions are punishable under the law," the post read. The Cyber Poli...