Posts Tagged ‘Srinagar’
Written by admin on 05 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 5 (IANS) The Srinagar-Jammu highway remained closed for the second day Sunday as fresh snowfall and shooting stones continued at vulnerable sectors of the road, an official said.
Due to fresh snowfall in the Bannihal and Patnitop sectors coupled with shooting stones in Panthal, no traffic is allowed to ensure the safety of passengers, Brigadier T.P.S Rawat of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) told IANS.
Rawat said snowfall was continuing on two sides of the Jawahar Tunnel in Bannihal.
“When it stops, we shall move our men and machines to restore the highway for traffic,” he said.
He said the runway at the Srinagar airport was being continuously cleared to keep air traffic worthy.
A mild snowfall lashed Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley Sunday.
Tags: Srinagar
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Written by admin on 05 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 5 (IANS) Despite rain and snow, thousands of Kashmiris Sunday celebrated the birthday of the founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, spending the night in mosques and shrines of the Kashmir Valley.
Hundreds of devotees offered ‘Durud’ (Praises of the Prophet) and spent the night in prayer and penance at the Hazratbal Shrine, the holiest Muslim shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.
Situated on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar city, the shrine houses the Holy Relic, the ‘Moi-e-Muqaddas’ (A hair of the Prophet’s beard).
Before and after every ‘Namaz’, people joined in chorus to offer the Durud.
The administration had made special arrangements for the convenience of devotees. Uninterrupted electric power, safe drinking water, regulating the streams of the devotees and guiding lost children in the crowd to their parents were some of the highlights of these arrangements.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Hazratbal Shrine Saturday to supervise the arrangements. Omar also prayed for peace and development at the shrine.
The main markets in Srinagar city and other parts of the valley have been decorated with electric lightings and buntings on the occasion.
Even larger congregations of devotees are expected to offer namaz at the Hazratbal Shrine during the day.
The devotees would also have glimpses of the Holy Relic after every namaz during the day.
The celebrations will continue till Friday (‘Jumatul Vida’) and during all the intervening days, the ‘Deedar’ (Glimpse of the Holy Relic) will continue after each namaz.
Specially decorated sweetmeat shops have come up around the shrine and these are doing brisk business.
‘Faith knows no snow or rain. It moves the wheel of life. The great thing about such congregations is that the rich and the poor, the weak and the mighty all line up seeking the divine blessings. Islam is a great leveler,’ said Nazir Ahmad Mir, 43, who came to offer namaz at the shrine from north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Tags: Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar
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Written by admin on 04 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 4 (IANS) Two separatist guerrillas of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed in a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir Saturday, army sources said.
“On specific information about the presence of some terrorists, troops of the counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and police surrounded a house in Dura (Litter) village of Pulwama district late Friday,” Lieutenant Colonel J.S. Brar, spokesman of the army’s Srinagar based 15th corps, told IANS.
“The hiding terrorists were challenged to surrender Saturday morning upon which they opened fire at the surrounding troops, triggering an encounter.
“Two terrorists identified as Ashiq and Mudasir of LeT outfit have been killed in the encounter which has ended now.”
The security forces did not suffer any damage in the gunfight although the house in which the guerrillas were hiding was damaged in the exchange of gunfire between the security forces and the guerrillas.
Tags: Srinagar
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Written by admin on 04 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 4 (IANS) A moderate intensity earthquake rocked the Kashmir Valley Saturday morning, disaster management officials said. No damage to life or property has been reported so far.
“The magnitude of the earthquake was 4.7 on the Richter Scale. It occured at 5.02 a.m. Saturday morning,” Aamir Ali, in-charge of the provincial disaster management cell, told IANS.
“The epicentre of the quake was in the Hindukush mountain range of Afghanistan. The coordinates were 36.4 degrees north and 71.4 degrees east.”
Tags: Srinagar
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Written by admin on 04 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 4 (IANS) Fresh snowfall across the Kashmir Valley Saturday blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway and an avalanche warning has been issued for people living in the higher reaches, an official said.
“Fresh heavy snowfall started in the Bannihal sector of the Srinagar-Jammu highway during the night and is still continuing. The highway has been closed for traffic and people intending to undertake travel on the highway must contact the traffic control room before moving on the road,” an official of the traffic department said here.
T.P.S. Rawat, chief engineer of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), said the road clearance operation would start after the snowfall stops in Bannihal and Patnitop sectors.
The weather office has forecast moderate and heavy snowfall in many places in the Valley Saturday and Sunday.
“The snowfall would be rather heavy in the Pir Panchal mountain range and north Kashmir’s Gulmarg. The western disturbance presently active over the state is likely to weaken from Feb 6 onwards,” said Sonam Lotus, director of the local meteorological office.
The provincial disaster management cell has issued an avalanche warning for the higher reaches of Machil, Keran, Tanghdhar, Chowkibal, Gurez and Uri.
People living in these avalanche prone areas have been advised not to move out of their homes and exercise caution.
Tags: Srinagar
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Written by admin on 03 February 2012
Srinagar, Feb 3 (IANS) Over 1,100 cases have piled up with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, as it has remained headless for more than three months now, affecting hearings by the panel.
‘The chairman of the state’s Human Rights Commission demitted after completion of term Oct 23, 2011, and since then the commission has been functioning in the absence of a chairman,’ a source in the commission told IANS.
‘This has resulted in a situation where no division bench hearing of alleged rights abuses and violations could be held by the commission during this period.’
Only one judge is left to hear the cases. Currently the commission is dealing with 1,156 cases pertaining to rights abuses and violations.
Last year 487 complaints were received by the commission.
The cases being heard include those pertaining to unmarked graves, medical negligence, alleged forced disappearances and suo motu cognizance of rights violations taken by it.
‘A total of 502 complaints were disposed of by the commission between Jan 1 and Dec 31 last year,’ a source said.
‘The disposed cases include those filed before the commission last year and some pending from earlier. The pendency is increasing at the commission with every passing day and the normal functioning of the commission is getting handicapped in the absence of the chairman.’
Despite official assertions that a new chairman for the commission would be nominated in time, the pending appointment has put a question mark on the efficacy of the state rights panel.
The commission was constituted in 1997.
The rights panel has four members besides the chairperson, who has to be a retired judge of the high court. At least one of the other members has to be a retired judge of the district and sessions court.
Tags: Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar
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