Bhat Yasir The devastating floods of August–September 2025 have laid bare the vulnerability of Jammu Kashmir’s infrastructure, with roads, bridges, schools, and water systems collapsing under the impact of relentless rains. While natural forces played their part, experts and residents point to decades of negligence, inadequate planning, and poorly designed structures that are ill-suited for the Union Territory’s hilly terrain. In Kashmir alone, approximately 90 km of roads and 87 bridges were damaged. The Jal Shakti Department reported 279 works destroyed, including a major breach in Budgam, while 563 water supply schemes were hit, disrupting essential services for thousands. In the education sector, 115 schools were damaged, notably in Pulwama and Anantnag, with partial or no safety...

A Srinagar court has imposed a penalty of ₹1.8 lakh on M/S Arif Enterprises, a local meat trading firm, after it was found guilty of selling misbranded chicken products in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. The case followed a surprise inspection by a Food Safety Officer (Zone-V, Srinagar) at the firm’s premises in Bulbul Bagh Bund, near Tengpora Bridge, on August 11, 2025. During the inspection, 42 packets of packaged chicken were found in cold storage with incomplete labels that lacked essential information such as the use-by date, type of chicken (frozen or chilled), date of packing, and supplier details. Officials said this violated Section 26(1)(2)(ii) of the FSSA and the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which mandate cle...

Jammu Kashmir BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal has threatened to resign from the party, calling Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent remarks on the “I Love Muhammad” controversy “unacceptable” and “deeply divisive.” According to report by Press Trust of India, Sirwal accused the UP government of unfairly targeting Muslims after clashes in Bareilly and Kanpur, where police arrested over 60 people and booked several others for carrying banners with the words “I Love Muhammad” during Eid-e-Milad processions. “The situation in Uttar Pradesh goes against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of *Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas*,” Sirwal said in a statement. “What was a simple, heartfelt act of faith has been met with FIRs, detentions and inflammatory rhetoric. Such act...

The Crime Branch Kashmir (Economic Offences Wing) on Saturday has registered a case after receiving a communication from the State Nodal Officer, National Health Mission (NHM) J&K, alleging circulation of a fake order purported to be issued by the Mission Director, NHM, J&K. In a handout to GNS, the CBK said that the fraudulent order, titled “Provisional Selection List of Candidates for Different Posts (Kashmir Division) against Notification No. SHS/NHM/J&K/HR/10259 dated 10.05.2021”, was found to be forged and was being circulated through social media platforms, causing confusion among the public. Following the complaint, a preliminary probe was initiated at Police Station Crime Branch Kashmir (now Economic Offences Wing). During the investigation, it surfaced that durin...

A young student from Srinagar pursuing a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in Punjab has died of a sudden heart attack, prompting appeals for the swift repatriation of his body to Kashmir for last rites. The deceased has been identified as Azaan Ahmad, a seventh-semester B. Pharma student hailing from Karan Nagar area of Srinagar. He was studying in Ludhiana when he suffered a fatal heart attack. His mortal remains are currently lying at Government Medical College Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab. The news of his sudden demise has shocked his family, relatives, and friends in Srinagar. In the wake of the tragedy, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Vice President of the All India Medical Students Association, has made a public appeal to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and ensu...

Police in Awantipora uncovered an illegal operation involving the rebranding of government-supplied rice meant for public distribution. The accused, identified as Fayaz Ahmad Dar of Shaltokuna Awantipora, was arrested during the raid, while a vehicle loaded with the contraband was seized on the spot. Officials said the operation was launched after credible information reached Police Station Awantipora regarding suspicious activity in Shaltokuna village. Acting swiftly, a team led by Inspector Ajaz Hmad and Inspector Bilal Ahmad conducted a raid at the identified location. During the operation, a Tata Mobile vehicle bearing registration number JK06-5469 was intercepted. Upon inspection, the vehicle was found loaded with government-issued rice illegally repackaged into apple-branded...

Danishwar Hameed Residents of Larkipora in Kulgam district held a protest on Friday over the non-availability of drinking water for the past six days, blocking the main road connecting Kulgam with neighboring districts. The demonstration caused significant disruption to traffic for several hours. Locals speaking to The Kashmiriyat expressed frustration not only at the Jal Shakti Department but also at their elected representative, accusing him of neglecting even basic civic needs. “After we elected him, he has done nothing for the people who trusted him,” protesters said, while urging the Deputy Commissioner of Kulgam to intervene and resolve the issue promptly. Kulgam police later reached the area, cleared the traffic, and coordinated with officials from the Jal Shakti Depa...

In a first for the Valley, cars have started arriving in Kashmir by train, with Maruti Suzuki dispatching a consignment of 116 vehicles directly from its Manesar plant in Haryana to Anantnag. The development marks the entry of Kashmir into India’s automobile freight network and is being described by officials as a “milestone in the region’s connectivity story.” Until now, vehicles bound for Kashmir had to be driven from Jammu over the treacherous Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, a process that not only delayed deliveries but also added hundreds of kilometres to brand-new cars, sometimes leaving them with dents or mechanical issues even before reaching buyers. With the commissioning of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) and the completion of the Chenab Rail Bridge...