REGIONAL

The minimum temperature witnessed a fall as most places in Jammu Kashmir recorded below sub-zero temperature with Gulmarg recording minus 13.5°C on Sunday. A meteorological department official said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against 0.5°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was below normal by 0.8°C for the summer capital. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.5°C against 0.0°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir. Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 2.4°C on the previous night and it was 1.0°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.3°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and...

The residents of Rassu areas of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Saturday expressed anguish against the Jal Shakti department for failing to provide them drinking water facilities. Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a group of delegation said that they are being deprived of basic facilities and it is so unfortunate how the administration is claiming high and tall about ensuring tap water supply to every household. They further said that during the harsh winter, the woman folk in the area are being forced to fetch the water from the surroundings. An elderly ailing lady said that that government is not concerned about their genuine grievance and appealed the Lieutenant Governor led administration to look into the matter at an earliest—(KNO)

The Jammu Kashmir National Conference President and Member of the Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said the recent move of JK administration to nominate Numberdars/Chowkidars for villages and towns across Jammu Kashmir runs contrary to the government claims of strengthening democracy in Jammu Kashmir. Echoing the concerns of a delegation of Numberdars that had called on him, Dr Farooq said that the government is trying to bring in their own people for this important position through backdoor. Dr Farooq said the association members who called on him resented the manner in which the incumbent Numberdars were being shown the door and the new ones nominated by the incumbent administration ditching all established norms and procedures. “The incumbent numberdars who command pub...

The country's first lithium reserve, found in Jammu Kashmir, is of the best quality, a senior government official said here on Saturday, as upbeat villagers expressed hope the discovery will bring them a bright future. The 5.9 million tonne reserve of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in Reasi district by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). "Lithium falls in the critical resource category which was not earlier available in India and we were dependent for its 100 percent import. The G3 (advanced) study of the GSI shows the presence of best quality lithium in abundant quantity in the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Salal village (Reasi)," J-K Mining Amit Secretary Sharma told PTI. He said against th...

About six years after the work on the new building of Primary Health Centre in Budgam’s Khansahib was started, the hospital building is still incomplete. Currently, the Primary Health Centre Hardu Panzoo in Khansahib catering about 30 villages is functional from an old building with less space causing hardships to staff as well as patients. Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that work on the new building was started in 2017 and it has not been completed till now. They said that while the PHC is functional round the clock throughout the week, the health facility lacks basic amenities. Mohammad Ayoub, a local, told KNO that the centre lacks USG machine, digital x-ray machine and an analyzer. In absence of the facilities, patients are presently forced to visit ...

The Srinagar municipal corporation has issued a deadline of seven days to people to remove the "encroachments" from the Dhood Ganga Nalla at the stretch from Alochi Bagh to Chatabal. In an official communique, of which a copy was accessed by The Kashmiriyat,  the Municipal Commissioner of Srinagar, has called for the "rejuvenation and restoration" of Doodh Ganga Nallah under the Srinagar Smart City project and the removal of encroachments thereon. "Whereas as, rejuvenation and restoration of Dhood Ganga Nallah from Alochi Bagh to Chatabal have been taken up under Srinagar Smart City Limited with Drainage Circle (Civil), SMC as the executing Agency. Whereas, it has been found that a number of encroachments and illegal structures have come up on the site of Nallah," the notice read. ...

After remaining suspended for nearly 31 hours, traffic movement was restored partially on Jammu-Srinagar Highway on Saturday, Officials said. Traffic control unit Ramban said that the highway is open for single way at T-5 Makarkoot and two-way at Pantiyal. It said the traffic stranded between Ramban and Ramsoo was allowed to move following the restoration work. Meanwhile, flight operations have also resumed at Srinagar's international airport after they had been suspended following fresh snowfall in Kashmir on Saturday morning.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday awarded Rs 10 lakh in compensation to a person who was evicted from his shop-cum residential premise in 1998 by the Badamibagh Cantonment Board without following the due course of law as prescribed by the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, Live Law reported. Justice Sanjay Dhar granted the compensation while hearing a petition in which the petitioner sought a declaration that his eviction from the shop-cum-residential premises at Saddar Bazar, Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar was illegal, arbitrary, and in violation of constitutional guarantees. The compensation was granted by Justice Sanjay Dhar while hearing a petition in which the petitioner sought a declaration that his eviction from the shop-cum-residential ...

Kashmir valley's Ayush Centres have received a batch of medicines meant to treat the common cold and stomach ache that are partly prepared from cow’s urine, The Kashmir Walla reported. ‘Sanjeevani Vati’, the medicine, produced by Uma Ayurvedics Pvt. Ltd., reads that the drug has been processed with cow’s urine (Gau Mutra). As per the description of the medicine, it is processed with ‘Gau Mutra (Cow Urine) – Q.S’. A doctor posted at one of the Ayush hospitals in Kashmir quoted by the Srinagar-based news portal, The Kashmir Walla said, “we have been asked to hold free medical camps and ensure it is distributed among as many people as it is beneficial”. Ayurveda Sanjeevani Vati is a polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation in tablet form. It is used in various different conditions such as...

Amid fresh snowfall in the Kashmir Valley, the authorities have suspended flight operations at Srinagar International Airport due to low visibility. Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Director Srinagar Airport, Kuldeep Singh said all the flights scheduled so far have been delayed in view of fresh snowfall and low visibility He said the decision to resume flight operations will be taken after improvement in visibility and weather conditions. Notably, weatherman has predicted more snow and rains across the Kashmir Valley today—(KNO)