Page 3 - Kashmir

Security stepped up in Kashmir ahead of PM's visit to newly formed UT

Security forces have been put on an alert in Kashmir ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu on Tuesday. Police and paramilitary forces are conducting random checking of vehicles at dozens of places in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Sunday. Special checking points have been set up at various places entry and exit points in Srinagar as a precautionary measure, the officials said. Although the prime minister will be visiting Jammu region, security agencies in the valley have been put on an alert to ensure that terrorists do not carry out any subversive activities during the high profile visit to the Union territory, they said. This will be Modi's second visit to Jammu and Kashmir during his second term in office. The prime minister is expected to inaugurate various development projects during his visit to Jammu which include AIIMS hospital Jammu, world's highest railway bridge over Chenab river and Devika river project in Udhampur. Modi is likely

48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan section rail link to open on Feb 20

The Indian Railways will start train services on the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section, a 48.1-km-long significant segment of the country's most ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, on February 20. "We will get a step closure to realise our dream to connect Srinagar with Kanyakumari," a source in the railways told PTI. "The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is one of the most ambitious Himalayan railway projects post independence," he added. According to sources in the railways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the section by virtually flagging off a train from Sangaldan. However, an official confirmation in this regard is awaited. Talking about the project, a senior railway official said, "Spanning the challenging terrain of the Pir Panjal ranges, the USBRL aims at establishing an all-weather, comfortable and economically-feasible transportation network, connecting remote Himalayan areas with the rest of the

ED formally arrests Hurriyat leader Bhat, 2 others in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has formally arrested three people, including a Hurriyat leader, in a money laundering case for their alleged involvement in selling MBBS seats in Pakistan and funding terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Wednesday. Hurriyat leader Mohammad Akbar Bhat and Fatima Shah of Srinagar and Sabzzar Ahmad Sheikh of Anantnag are already in jail after their arrest more than five years ago by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) in a terror funding case. Bhat, Shah and Sheikh were arrested on Tuesday under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) provisions for their involvement in terror financing and being hand in glove with Pakistani handlers Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Bhat, who arranged admissions in MBBS and other courses in colleges in Pakistan for students from Jammu and Kashmir, a spokesperson of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. The official said the accused have been remanded to the ED's custod

Apples to bats, Kashmir's startup scene gains momentum with foreign funding

Entrepreneurs are also tapping into JK Startup Policy and Shark Tank India

Snowfall in Kashmir valley disrupts flight operations at Srinagar airport

All flights to and from Srinagar airport in Kashmir were cancelled on Sunday due to snowfall in the valley, officials said here. "All the flights have been cancelled for the day due to bad weather at Srinagar," an official of the Airport Authority of India said. The official said the snowfall, which began late Saturday night, had stopped briefly early in the morning, allowing clearance of the runway. "However, the snowfall started again before any flights could operate," he added. The plains of Kashmir are witnessing moderate snowfall while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches of the valley. Snow clearance operations are being carried out since early hours to ensure that the roads are traffic worthy. Authorities have advised motorists to drive carefully in view of the slippery roads.

Road, air traffic affected by snowfall in Kashmir, avalanche warning issued

Snowfall across the Kashmir Valley affected normal life on Sunday with all flights cancelled at Srinagar airport, officials said. The plains of Kashmir saw moderate snowfall, while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches, they said. Authorities are clearing snow from roads so that vehicular movement is possible, they said. But traffic movement was slow as the roads are slippery. The snowfall has forced the cancellation of all inbound and outbound flights from Srinagar airport for the day. Authorities have issued avalanche warnings for hilly and mountainous areas of Kashmir, urging the residents to avoid unnecessary movement for the next 24 hours. The snowfall has resulted in a rise in the minimum temperatures but the day temperatures have fallen in most places of the valley. As per the MeT department forecast, the weather is expected to improve in Kashmir from Tuesday onwards. Qazigund town in south Kashmir was the warmest place on Saturday, recording a high of 3.

Centre lodges strong protest with Britain over visit of envoy to PoK

India has registered a strong protest with the UK over the visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by its High Commissioner to Islamabad along with another British official. The ministry of external affairs said such "infringement" of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is "unacceptable". "India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on January 10," it said. "Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement," the MEA said. "The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," it said in a statement.

Kashmir Valley endures unusual, severe dry spell amid harsh winter

Reduced snowfall and precipitation levels have prompted worries about potential water scarcity and its far-reaching impacts on the environment and daily life

Chhattisgarh: 3.3 magnitude earthquake hits Ambikapur; no injury reported

A low-intensity earthquake of 3.3 magnitude on the Richter Scale was recorded near Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district on Tuesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) informed."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.3, Occurred on 26-12-2023, 14:50:45 IST, Lat: 24.19 & Long: 82.57, Depth: 4 km, Location: 132km NNW of Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh," the NCS said in a post on X.However, no injury was reported.

India's SC verdict on Art 370 would further complicate Kashmir issue: Imran

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has said that India's Supreme Court verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370 would "further complicate" the Kashmir issue. The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the Centre government's decision of August 2019 to abrogate Article 370, which bestowed a special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan, who has been incarcerated in the Adiala jail of Rawalpindi, in a message said that the Indian top court's ruling was a sheer violation of the UNSC resolutions, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a post on X. Khan made it clear that the controversial and unlawful decision of the Indian top court would further complicate the Kashmir issue instead of helping to solve the decades-long conflict, it added. He vowed that his party would continue to provide full diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmiri people.

Resounding declaration of hope, unity: PM hails SC verdict on Article 370

The PM further assured that the government is committed to the resilient people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in fulfilling their dreams

Security beefed up across Kashmir ahead of SC verdict on Article 370

Security was beefed up across Kashmir on Monday ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Security forces have been deployed at many places in the valley to maintain law and order, they added. Checkpoints have been set up in and around Srinagar city and random frisking and checking of vehicles and people are being done, the officials said. Checkpoints have also been set up at a few places in other districts of Kashmir. However, there is no restriction on the movement of people anywhere in the valley, the officials said. "Life is going on normally. Shops and other business establishments opened in the morning as usual. There are no restrictions anywhere," one of them said. The officials said the security agencies are keeping a hawk's eye on the situation and attempts to disturb peace will be dealt

J-K police constable shot at by militants in Srinagar, rushed to hospital

Suspected militants shot at a Jammu and Kashmir police constable in Bemina area of the city here on Saturday, officials said. The policeman has been rushed to a nearby hospital after the attack, they said. Constable Mohammad Hafiz was fired upon by militants at Hamdaniya Colony in Bemina locality, the officials said. Hafiz is a resident of Karnah in north Kashmir's Kupwara district but presently lives in Bemina, they said.

Amid supply crunch, price of Kashmir apples zooms 50% to a decadal high

The prices of Grade-A apples have doubled in the past year in Sopore, Asia's second-largest fruit market

37 killed, 19 hurt as bus falls into gorge in J&K's Doda: Officials

Five people were killed when a bus rolled down a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda District, Kashmir police said on Wednesday.The mishap took place in Assar village of Doda."A bus rolled down a gorge in the Assar area of Doda, 5 people have died, rescue operation is going on," Jammu and Kashmir Police said.Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh took to microblogging site X to confim that five people were killed and that the injured had being shifted to District Hospital Kistwar and Government Medical College Doda.He also said that he had spoken to the Doda District Commissioner, Harvinder Singh.The Union Minister also added in his post that all possible help is being provided to the injured people."Helicopter service to be arranged for shifting the more injured ones. All possible help, as required being provided. I am in constant touch," Singh said.Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condoled the loss of lives in a post on X."Deeply shocked & saddened about ...

Three Bangladeshi tourists 'burnt beyond recognition' in Kashmir's Dal Lake

Three foreign tourists, believed to be from Bangladesh, were charred to death in a major blaze in a houseboat on the famous Dal Lake on Saturday, officials here said. Burnt beyond recognition, the tourists' bodies were retrieved from the debris of the gutted houseboats near ghat nine on the lake, a popular attraction for tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, the officials said. The cause of the fire, which engulfed five houseboats and as many huts attached to those, was not immediately known. The officials said preliminary investigations suggested that the fire broke out in one of the houseboats in the early hours due to malfunctioning of a heating appliance. The victims' DNA samples were extracted to establish their identities, the officials said, adding they are believed to be from Bangladesh and included a woman, according to the records being maintained by the houseboat operators. The bodies will be identified through DNA samples with the family members of the .

We have rescued tourists, says official after fire breaks out at Dal Lake

The official added that around 5-8 houseboats and huts were gutted in the blaze

Farooq's tryst with Kashmir's destiny

The biography of former Kashmir chief minister offers a fascinating account of a personality that is simultaneously dazzling and complex

Fresh spate of attacks, security beefed up across Kashmir Srinagar

Security has been beefed up across Kashmir in the wake of a fresh spate of terrorist attacks in the valley which resulted in the killing of a police personnel and a non-local labourer, officials said. Security forces have intensified checking and frisking of vehicles and pedestrians in several parts of the city here as well as in other parts of the valley, the officials said. Nakas and mobile vehicle checkpoints (MVCP) have been established at all major intersections of the city, its entry/exit points, and important roads leading to district headquarters, they added. Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary CRPF personnel have been deployed at sensitive places, especially around minority population areas, the officials said. They said the security forces are also keeping a watch, including night domination, in the areas where non-locals reside. While most of the non-local labourers have left the valley because of the cold weather, few are still putting up in ghettos, they added.

Bumper paddy crop in Kashmir even as land under paddy cultivation falls

Kashmir has witnessed a bumper rice crop this year even after the land under paddy cultivation decreased by nearly 10 per cent over the past few years. Farmers and officials of the agriculture department were also worried about the paddy yield this year, due to incessant rains and cold weather during the sowing season in May-June this year. "In the month of March, April and May there were heavy rains because of which we were also fearing about the fate of staple food crop (paddy) but simultaneously we tried our best and also did sowing a second time," Director Agriculture Mohammad Iqbal Chaudhary said. Chaudhary said the department launched a campaign for transplanting seedlings even in June. "... more than 5 to 10 per cent extra productivity per hectare is expected as more than 90 per cent crop has already been harvested," he added. The director said the bumper crop has boosted the morale of farmers, as the rate of rice in the local market has crossed Rs 50 per kilogram. "We are