REGIONAL

A controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the failure of the administration to shift the official holiday on account of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) in line with the moon sighting, drawing sharp criticism from political and religious leaders. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, accused the LG-led administration of deliberately ignoring the calendar provisions. “The calendar printed by the Government press is very clear – ‘Subject to the appearance of the moon’. It means that the holiday is subject to change depending upon the moon being sighted. The deliberate decision by the unelected government to not shift the holiday is inconsiderate and designed to hurt the sentiments of the people,” he wrote. The dispute arose after the administration marked Friday as the offi...

Every spell of heavy rain in Kashmir revives the spectre of floods, triggering panic among locals who still recall the devastation of 2014. While authorities often attribute the recurring scare to natural causes, locals and experts insist the real culprits are unchecked encroachments, vote-bank politics, and the failure of successive governments to safeguard flood channels and wetlands. A couple of flood management experts while talking to the news agency Kashmir News Trust, said that the Jhelum’s natural carrying capacity has been steadily compromised due to illegal construction along its banks and on adjoining flood channels. In several areas, land that legally belongs to the river has been encroached upon and converted into residential and commercial sites with official sanctio...

Suhail Dar An advocate lost his life in a road accident in the Paibugh Mattan area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday. Officials said the accident took place on KP Road when a gas-laden truck (JK03G-1304) collided with a Ford Figo (JK17-0706). Advocate Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, 60, son of Abdul Majeed Sofi and a resident of Ashajipora, sustained critical injuries in the crash. He was rushed to GMC Anantnag, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police have taken cognizance of the incident.

A major breach occurred in the River Jhelum bund near Zoonipora village in Budgam during the early hours on Thursday, resulting in inundation of several adjoining areas. Officials said the breach led to flooding in Shalina, Rakh Shalina and Baghi Shakirshah villages. Residents of these areas were evacuated overnight and shifted to designated rescue centres and safer locations. Authorities said there is still apprehension of inundation in Seerbagh and Summerbugh villages. Rescue teams are relocating people from these vulnerable areas to safety, while residents have been advised to move to higher ground until the water level recedes. To accommodate the displaced families, the district administration has activated six rescue centres in the affected belt. These include Government H...

The water level in the river Jhelum crossed the danger mark at Sangam in south Kashmir on Wednesday evening, even as rainfall subsided across most parts of Jammu Kashmir. According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Jhelum river was flowing at 27.29 feet at Sangam against the danger mark of 25 feet. At Pampore, the gauge stood at 6.30 metres, while Munshibagh in Srinagar recorded 20.98 feet, also above the danger mark of 21 feet. At Asham in Bandipora, the river level was 10.89 feet, below the alarm level. Wullar Lake recorded 1576.54 metres. Among the tributaries, the Vishow Nallah at Khudwani was flowing at 10.50 metres, significantly above its danger level of 8.50 metres, while the Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi was exactly at the danger mark of 5.70 metres. Lidder Nal...

Meer Irfan Students at a government degree college in Zainapora, Shopian, found themselves battling floodwaters on Wednesday afternoon as heavy rains pushed local streams and rivers beyond the danger mark. Around three in the afternoon, word spread across the campus that water had entered the premises. Within minutes, students rushed toward the ground floor where the college library is located, fearing that the rising waters could destroy what many described as the most valuable part of their institution. The students told The Kashmiriyat that the sight was overwhelming. The courtyard was filling up quickly, rainwater mixed with floodwaters was gushing through the gates, and the ground-floor rooms were beginning to flood. The library, which stores thousands of books, including ...

Shuttle operations of four trains between Jammu and Katra, launched on September 1 to support residents and stranded passengers, were suspended on Wednesday due to relentless rains and flooding. Launched on September 1, the Jammu to Katra shuttle trains had been planned to continue until September 15. Long-distance trains from New Delhi to Katra have likewise been curtailed temporarily. Rail traffic in the Jammu division has remained suspended for nine consecutive days following track misalignments and breaches caused by flash floods and incessant rain on August 26 along the Pathankot to Jammu section. To ease the situation, the Railways have deployed special services, transporting 5,784 passengers over the past four days. The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage remains on hold for the ninth stra...

The flood situation in Kashmir worsened on Wednesday morning as several rivers and tributaries crossed flood alert and danger marks, with authorities urging people in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant. As per the recent readings at 4 P.M., the Jhelum river at Sangam is flowing at 26.55 ft, above the danger level of 25ft. At Pampore, the river Jhelum is flowing at 5.76 meters against the danger level of 5m. At Ram Munshi bagh in Srinagar, the water is flowing at 19.43ft against the flood level of 18ft, at Randiara in south Kashmir's Shopian area, the water levels were recorded at 3.94 M, against the 5.4m danger level. At Lidder Nallah in Batkoot, the water is currently flowing at 1.51m, below the danger mark of 1.65m. Lastly, the Vishow (Weshav) Nallah at Kulgam is overflowing at 11.10...

Continuous rainfall across Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday intensified the flood threat, with several rivers and tributaries crossing alert and danger levels. Authorities have urged people in low-lying and vulnerable areas to stay vigilant as the situation worsens. According to independent forecasters, around 10:30 a.m. a cluster of clouds developed over Samba and quickly spread, triggering heavy showers across Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, and Kathua. By early afternoon, the system appeared to be moving towards south Kashmir, with fresh spells of rain expected in Anantnag, Shopian, and Kulgam over the next 4 to 8 hours. According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, at 1 P M., the Jhelum at Sangam was flowing at 24.75 ft, just shy of the 25 ft danger mark,...

The flood situation in Kashmir worsened on Wednesday morning as several rivers and tributaries crossed flood alert and danger marks, with authorities urging people in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant. As per the 11 a.m. gauge readings, the Jhelum river at Sangam was flowing at 23.88 ft, above the flood alert mark of 21 ft and approaching the danger level of 25 ft. At Pampore, the level stood at 4.43 m, close to the flood alert threshold of 4.5 m. Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar recorded 15.99 ft, still under the flood alert mark of 18 ft and danger mark of 21 ft but rising steadily. Tributaries too showed alarming trends. The Vishow (Weshav) Nallah in Kulgam is overflowing, far above both the flood alert mark of 7.75 m and the danger level of 8.5 m. Lidder Nallah was measured at 159 m...