MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF

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THOUSANDS THRONG SHRINE ON EID-E-MILAD

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It is Official: Massive fire at Doctors at SMHS Food security of KU’s residential go on strike Kashmir at risk MERC quarters P7 M P2 P3 Times } ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR IV M ER H MERC SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 MTimes } 2 Unregulated tourism It is Official: Food security damaging Valley of Kashmir at risk v Sami Khan: the report. Number of cattle was 2,47,900 in 1997 as per the report, which environment: : Kashmir is fast losing has come down 1,96,740. The number of its cultivable land to an unchecked sheep was 2,91,000 and the same has construction boom and unabated now got reduced to 1,94,188 in the year Official report conversion of agricultural-land to 2011-12. residential and commercial purposes, Experts link the unabated official data reveals. conversion of cultivable land to other Data collected by state’s Statistics purposes to state’s food grain deficit. and Evaluation Department shows An estimation made by the Directorate that the twin north Kashmir districts, of Agriculture Jammu, food grain Baramulla and Kupwara, lose at an requirement for the State is 25 lakh MT average 150 to 200 acres of agriculture per annum as against the tentative land annually to residential colonies, production of about 20.65 lakh MT shopping complexes, roads and other during 2013-14. Therefore the State government constructions. faces a deficiency of 4.35 lakh MT of In its annual report, the department food grains. shows the baffling trend in “The situation is of grave concern. diminishing area of cultivable and If it was not controlled immediately,it grazing land in the two north Kashmir may pose serious threat to food districts. For instance, the total security in near future”, warned a top available area in the year 2000-2001 revenue official while talking to Merc v Nisar Dharma tourists and Amarnath Yatris was under “permanent pastures and Times. 1308765 and 621000 respectively. grazing fields” in Kupwara was As per the tentative figures Srinagar: Non-regulation of tourist The number of tourist arrivals 7107 hectares, which as per the with Jammu and Kashmir Land flow in Kashmir would result in detri- dropped to 1171130 in 2013 and in 2014 department’s revised2012-13 report Accusation Department, the security mental impact on the overall environ- their number was 116718. Over 10 lakh has reduced to just 1949hectares. agencies occupy10,000 kanals of land ment of the region, claims an official tourists also visited in 2015. However, Officials in the agriculture in Kupwara district.The occupied area report by department of ecology, envi- most of these tourists visited only the department say ‘’the unabated trend mostly includes cultivable land, of ronment and remote sensing Jammu most common tourist places (Gulmarg, of land conversion is posing serious which security agencies pay rent to the and Kashmir. Pahalgam, Sonamarg) as government implications on the food owners. It, however, does not include It says that the influx of tourists be- has so far failed to develop other places security of people and fodder the land the security agencies have yond the carrying capacity of scenic which have the potential of becoming for animals including wildlife, as occupied after eruption of militancy, spots has put tremendous pressure prime tourist destinations. forest land too is enchroached, and as against which they don’t pay any on their existing resources and infra- “We have only few tourist places converted’’ . rent. structure. which have the requisite infrastruc- With the occupation and conversion The experts suggest an Although Valley has been naturally ture, the government has failed to of permanent pastures and grazing uncompromised blanket ban on the gifted, the concerned authorities have regulate the tourists in these places fields there has been a visible decline purchase, conversion and selling of so far not succeeded in developing new which proves detrimental to our envi- also in the number of livestock, says agricultural land. tourist places which in turn means ronment,” an official of Environment the huge number of tourists arriving department said. here have only selected places to visit “We have to work on the lines of putting a lot of pressure on these des- eco-tourism in the state; one way to do tinations. that would be to go on cycles or ride on Acknowledging that higher num- ponies to tourist spots having fragile ber of tourists visiting fewer spots is environment,” he said. turning things from bad to worse, the It has been seen that thousands report suggests government to explore of tourists and pilgrims visit tour- new destinations to reduce the pres- ist places with fragile environment sure on the existing ones. which leads to degradation of environ- The report says that unregulated ment mainly due to heavy fleet of ve- tourist inflow increases pollution hicles carrying pilgrims and tourists (more vehicles thronging in a particu- to these places. lar place), creates pressure on drink- A senior official of Tourism depart- ing water resources, increases chanc- ment said the department was plan- es of unscientific waste disposal, and ning to implement the tourism policy also creates a lot of congestion. in the state for regulating the inflow. According to the official figures, “It will also help us to upgrade the 1314432 domestic and foreign tourists infrastructure at tourist destinations visited the Valley in 2011 excluding with proper water supply, sewage, the Amarnath yatris whose number drainage to ensure that environment was 634000. In 2012, the number of is not affected,” the official said. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR IV M ER H MMERC SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 3 Times } v Yonis Muhammad Sultan Dar, the other dweller of the quarter was mourning Srinagar: A massive fire saturday since all his belongings were destroyed broke out in Kashmir University’s Nas- in the fire.“I had earnings of the last 30 eem Bagh Campus torching multiple years inside and now I have nothing,” he residential quarters accommodated by quietly said. the non-teaching staff. I had gone to see the doctor early in As per witnesses, around 8 AM, smoke the morning. Just couple of days ago, I and flames puffed out of the first quarter brought four blankets costing Rs 2000 and shortly engulfed the three adjoining each and now I do not have even clothes ones. Such was the intensity and the left. I however thank Allah for saving my speed at which the fire spread that it family,” he added. barely allowed the families of the staff to Speaking to Merc Times, KU Proctor save themselves. Dr Naseer Iqbal said that since the The residents believe that the fire quarters were fully wooden, the fire was caused by short-circuit, since the engulfed them within a few minutes. We electricity was restored in the morning. cannot definitely say what caused the “Also the quarters being completely built fire, was it short-circuit or something in wood,it took fire few minutes to engulf else”? entire building,” said Muhammad He further added that his team’s time of Muzaffar, one of the residents in whose intervention was very fast but even after room the fire started. that we could not save the belongings The students living in the adjoining of the three non-teaching staff families hostels came out and tried to douse the living in the quarters. fire but couldn’t and eventually the fire When asked about the resettlement ate up the entire stretch of residential of the affected staff, he said, “There are Massive fire engulfs quarters even though around eight no separate lodging arrangements as of firefighting vehicles turned up at the site now but we are arranging a makeshift within 15 minutes. for them. .“Had not the fire-service turned up at It is pertinent to mention here that all KU’s residential the appropriate time, the fire would have the residential quarters in the Naseem leapt over to the other quarters,” said Bagh are made of wood and are thus quarters witnesses. susceptible to fires. Inspired by CM’s super 50, BOSE to start 45 days crash course for CET aspirants students and the faculty,” he added. v Umar Shafi While talking to Merc Times, aspirants who attended the Srinagar: Inspired by CM’s super 50 inaugural ceremony said that they initiative, JK BOSE has decided to start feel extremely happy to be the part of comprehensive coaching programme this group. for the candidates desirous to appear in Aisha(name changed) one of Medical and Engineering competitive the lucky students who were got examinations to be conducted during selected said “I am from a very poor the year-2016. background. My family cannot afford The programme was inaugurated to send me to those tuition centers by Chairperson, Jammu and Kashmir that charge hefty sums from students. State Board of School Education By offering coaching against just (JKBOSE), Prof Zahoor Ahmad Chatt. 3000 rupees is the greatest thing that The Coaching programme organized government can do for the students by BOSE is a first of its kind in valley like us.” and was inaugurated at Lal Mandi “The best part of this coaching is Srinagar. that some of the finest minds in valley Speaking on the occasion, the have been assigned the task to teach Chairperson said, it is a new initiative members have been engaged to take mentioned that in the said coaching us,” she added further. taken by JKBOSE for 12th class pass- classes. programme teaching shall be based Meena Pandita, Secretary JK outs. He added that 75 students have been not only curriculum but will also BOSE, who was also present there Zahoor said the programme shall selected through an online process help students learn time management advised students to work hard and work on methodology different from different districts of Kashmir during competitive exams. to use this precious time thoroughly from other coaching institutes and division on first come first serve basis “The success of this programme and contribute to the society in a best most experienced 12th class faculty at a fee of Rs 3000 per student. He depends on coordination between possible way. MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR Vol 8 | No 11 | OCTOBER 15, 2015 4

Most of the times women come with a complaint of pain and when we dig deeper, it’s a psychiatric disorder. To avoid narrating their story again and again to different doctors in governmental hospitals, they chose private clinics, if they choose at all”

Authorities to come down heavily on encroachers Beehama shopkeepers in baramulla protest over delayed v Anayat Sultan been done in the first phase with the help and support of the revenue Srinagar: The department of irri- department. rehabilitation gation and flood control has inten- The anti-encroachment drive, sified the anti-encroachment drive according to officials, comes in v Idrees Ahmad development commissioner to clear the along the river Jhelum in north wake of the J&K High court’s land for road widening .We are not the Kashmir’s Baramulla district to order which directed the officials Ganderbal: Not rehabilitated yet, the authority to rehabilitate or compensate restore the river to its past glory. to demolish the illegal structures shopkeepers of main market in Beehama, them,” municipal officer Ganderbal, The anti-encroachment team along the banks of the river Jhelum Ganderbal took out a protest to express Anees Chowdery told Merc Times. led by Executive Engineer Tariq so that the pristine glory of the river their anger against district administra- “The land belongs to municipal Ahmed Lala demolished various could be restored and catastrophes tion’s decision of demolishing the shops of committee and we have already given illegal structures in Khawaja- like September floods - which locals for road widening. them notice to vacate these shops,” he Bagh, Kanispora, Kralahar and wreaked havoc across Kashmir - According to Ganderbal Municipal added. Jahama areas of the district and could be averted. Committee(GMC) official, eight However, the shopkeepers claim that freed the river banks from the The serpentine river, which shops are to be the District Commissioner has many illegal occupation. originates from the south kashmir’s I AM EARNING demolished in the a times assured them substitute land “The drive has been conducted Verinag spring, has shrunk over MY LIVELIHOOD chowk near bus for the shops near bus stand Beehama in view of the court orders and the the years due to the unabated FROM THIS stand, and deadline or in Tawheed chowk Duderhuma, but department will act accordingly encroachment right from south to SHOP FOR to vacant shops nothing has been done so far. to restore the pristine glory of the the north Kashmir. And according ABOUT 15 for shopkeepers is Assuring the early solution District river”, said Tariq Ahmed Lala, to the experts, this shrinkage YEARS. MY January 25. Commissioner Ganderbal Showket executive engineer, Irrigation and was the main contributor to the FATHER USED “I am earning Aijaz said that they have taken the flood control department, District September floods. TO MANAGE my livelihood from demands into consideration. “I am in Baramulla. People from different walks THIS SHOP this shop for about talks with stakeholders and very soon The Executive Engineer also of life have hailed the anti- FOR 30 YEARS. 15 years. My father we will reach to the conclusion about the appealed people to “desist from encroachment drive against THIS SHOP used to manage this future of Beehama Chowk shopkeepers,” raising any structures” along the the encroachers and termed it a IS THE SOLE shop for 30 years. he added. river banks and impressed upon step in the right direction. “The LIVELIHOOD This shop is the sole Meanwhile, the traders union Tawheed the illegal occupants to “raze down concerned department should FOR ME AND MY livelihood for me chowk, has opposed any decision taken their illegal structures themselves continue this drive so that the river FAMILY and my family. We by district administration for the otherwise the department would is restored to its past grandeur are not against the rehabilitation of the shopkeepers. be forced to utilize the state and stature”, said a local,Mohd. road widening but “In future, many shops may also be machinery for the same purpose”. Ashraf Wani. “If concrete steps it is the responsibility of government to demolished for road widening here. The officials of the department like this aren’t taken in time, rehabilitate us,”Gulzar Ahmad Shah, a Where will we berehabilitated that time revealed that the demarcation of there will be nothing left for the shopkeeper, said. if the land is provided to shopkeepers of the illegal structures has already posterity”, he added. “We got the orders from district other places?” they asked. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR IV M ER H SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 MMERC } Vol 8 | No 12 | OCTOBER 30, 2015 5 Times Thousands throng Hazratbal Shrine to celebrate Eid-e-Milad

v Moosa Hayat

Srinagar: Thousands of people on wednesday reached Asar-i-sharif,the Hazratbal shrine, in the city outskirts to celebrate the Eid-e-Milad(SAW). Devo- tees from all corners of valley had gath- ered here to participate in the night long prayers and to have a first glimpse of Holy relic that was displayed after Fajr (pre-dawn) prayers. According to official sources ,around 1.5 lakh worshippers thronged Hazratbal shrine locally known as Sharif to get a glimpse of the .ﷺ holy relics of the Prophet Muhammad Special arrangements were put in place by Traffic Police for smooth movement of people to and from the shrine. Besides private and public transport, State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) had made arrangements for ferrying devotees. Divisional administration had made arrangements of security and other necessary facilities. that I come here has been laid by our beloved Prophet ﷺ Various religious, social, business smooth conduct of congregational Prophet Muhammad ”.ﷺ and political organizations had erected prayers. on every Shab(night of prayers) to seek Muhammad banners on roads and shops outside “It is the most beautiful and joyous blessings.” Around 9000 meters lighting wire was Some 1.5 lakh devotees have thronged has been used to beautify the Hazratbal ﷺ Hazratbal shrine, greeting people on the day for us as our beloved Prophet occasion while local traders decorated born on this day,” said a local, Moulana Asar-i- Sharif Dargah to pay obeisance. Shrine and its outskirts. The hot water the markets and announced discount Masroor Ahmad. “This is the real Eid The devotees asked for forgiveness supply has been maintained in all on various items. The devotees, who for as on this day, Allah gifted in night long prayers under chilly washrooms with kehwa and Noon- had gone for night long stay and those humanity with the most important and conditions of 4.4 degree Celsius chai(local tea) for the devotees. who reached the shrine at afternoon pious person ever.” temperature. For the toy shop owner Abdul Majeed prayers expressed satisfaction over Rajah Begum, of Tral said that she has “Everything is beautiful here. I , the day has been a productive one. “I the arrangements made by Waqf not missed any Shab-i-Milad for the last cannot express the feelings that how I earn nearly 6 to 8 thousand rupees per Board. Vice-Chairman Waqf Board 60 years. “I have been coming to Dargah am feeling inside,” said Aaliya shah, day on Milad days. Since there is a huge Peer Mohammad Hussein told Merc Sharif, Hazratbal on every Milad to a devotee from Nowhatta. “This day is rush of kids on this occasion, they love to Times that they had made special have a glimpse of the holy relics,” she remarkable for every Muslim and we buy different kinds of toys. So the Milad arrangements for the devotees to ensure said. “It’s the love of my Allah and all should follow the right path which days bring prosperity to us,” he said.

v Rafia Rahim the workshop on capacity knowledge about the opera- Srinagar: To improve the building of elementary tions of the computers. State Institute quality of teaching and level mathematics teach- Similarly 26 teachers learning process at ele- ers, themed “Development participated in the orien- mentary as well as second- of Mathematics Lab” was tation course on“Module of Education ary level, the State Insti- conducted by the Math- making for secondary tute of Education (SIE) ematics wing of SIE in level”. organized various work- which 27 teachers partici- Joint Director Train- organizes shops on different themes pated. ings-Principal SIE during at SIE complex Bemina. Another workshop was her valedictory address The workshops were held on basics of computer stressed upon all partici- workshop for held on mathematics, for elementary level teach- pants to take benefit of the science and education ers conducted by the Edu- orientation programme technology in which a cational technology wing. and use the skills and tech- teachers huge gathering of teachers The aim of the workshop niques for making teach- participated. was to acquaint the teach- ing learning process more The organizers said ers with the basic skill and interesting. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR IV M MERC ERS SH MTimes } ITY OF KA Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 6 Sangarmal lacks Staff shortage cripples basic facilities; health care in Baramulla v Nelofar jahan the 1498 total sanctioned posts. The only super speciality and main, authorities Srinagar: At a time when state gov- 200 bedded functional District Hospital ernment is boasting about its ‘suc- Baramulla which caters heavy rush of cess’ for ensuring better health care patients from its peripheral hospitals, unmoved in the primary and secondary health faces dearth of 25 specialist doctors and institutions,the Baramula hospitals are assistant surgeons against the 74 total facing the worse. sanctioned posts. The hospital is short The claim of the Government about of 54 paramedical staff members against their success however falls flat when it the total of 118 sanctioned posts in vari- comes to Baramulla District which is ous categories. almost crippling in the wake of short- Ironically, despite being the only su- age of doctors and the paramedical staff. per specialty Hospital in the district the Not only peripheral hospitals even the process of night surgeries is yet to take newly shifted specialty District Hospi- place due to shortage of medical and tal Baramulla faces the major paucity of paramedical staff. man power. Doctor Bashir Ahmad Chalkoo, As per official data, for more than who is heading the hospital as Medical 10 lakh population, District Baramulla Superintendent said that four doctors has total 200 health institutions which man the night service in the Hospital include 01 district Hospital, Mother and while 10 doctors remain on call if need Child Care Hospital, District Tuber arises. The staff shortage has heavily taken toll on patient care besides has v Ubaid jeelani put extra burden on the existing Srinagar: Famous as ‘Sangarmal City Centre’, the Sangar- staff. According mal Shopping Plaza which was once flaunted as the significant to Officials the achievement of Srinagar Development Authority(SDA) faces the staff shortage is shortage of some essential facilities which has in turn hindered main cause be- its development in becoming one of the best shopping centers of hind referring valley. the patients to Constructed by the SDA at a cost of Rs 18 crore, the mall is Srinagar Hospi- plagued by several problems including lack of power back-up and tals. central heating system. In District “60 per cent shops at the mall are unsold as SDA has failed Hospital Baram- to put in place primary facilities. The fountains that were con- ulla 935 patients structed at a cost of Rs 45 lakhs have been rendered dysfunction- were referred al. Even the fire fighting system is not in place. People who visit to Srinagar the mall shiver with cold in absence of central heating system,” Hospitals from said Sheikh Manzoor, President of the Sangarmal Traders Wel- April 2013 to fare Association. Jan 2014.“From The Association accused the SDA of causing inordinate DHB, 174 pa- delay in construction of the proposed multiplex facilities which tients were includes indoor games, health club, gym, cyber café, cafeteria, Closes center, 06 sub district hospitals/ referred to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute exhibition, art gallery, library, multipurpose hall, a coffee shop Community health centers, 31 primary of Medical Sciences Soura SKIMS, 175 and three theaters. health centers, 02 sub health centers, 20 to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital “We were promised tele-cable communication system and Allopathic dispensaries, 125 sub centers (SMHS), 403 to Lal Ded, 168 to G.B panth individual meters for power, water and air conditioning. How- and 13 medical Aid centers. Hospital and 43 to Bone and Joint Hospi- ever, these have not been installed yet. The fine print of the mall The district comprises 10 medical tal for specialized treatments,” the data promised us an electronic security system which has also not blocks that face shortage of 40 specialist reveals. been installed,” Manzoor said. doctors against the 78 sanctioned posts, Officials said, the district hospital Vice –chairman of SDA Tahseen Mustafa refuted the claims while 88 positions of Assistant surgeons falls short of essential equipments also of the traders that central heating system was part of the original are vacant against the 234 sanctioned like Digital X-ray, MRI machines while plan. “Faulty lighting and generator were recently made func- posts and 6 posts of dental surgeons are C.T scan machine is on cards. tional. I recently visited Sangarmal and noticed that a lot of up also vacant in various hospitals of the Similarly the shortage of staff is fol- gradation needs to be done. However, there is no provision for district. More over the district faces lowed by medical block sopore, Sheeri, central heating in the mall,” the VC said. shortage of 342 non gazette staff against Kreeri, Dangiwacha, Uri and pattan. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR IV M ER H MMERC MMERC SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 7 Times } Times } Alleging misbehavior, doctors at SMHS go on strike

v Murtaza Fazili doctors by mobs. plained that his heart and kidneys had problems. They also demanded that a patient grievance He had a chronic kidney function disease and Myo- Srinagar : Resident doctors at SMHS hospital here cell be formularized. “ This grievance cell should cardial Infarction, but still they beat up the doctor on Friday went on strike to protest against the al- be available to help patients and redress their gen- who was trying to resuscitate him,” said a doctor leged assault on a doctor by the attendants of a pa- uine issues. Doctor cannot do everything but with- who was on duty at the time of the incident. tient. out a system in place, attendants expect him to do However, an attendant whose patient was also “ The SMHS administration has failed in pro- everything from getting a trolley to fetching the admitted at the same ward where the death had tecting doctors from marauding mobs who target medicines,” said Dr Faisal Majid at SMHS hospital. taken place said that the doctor on duty had called them for every grievance. We have anaesthetic for intubating the patient. But been forced to take the extreme step the concerned anesthetic had left for dinner of strike because the administration and returned when the patient had already had refused to pay heed to our com- expired. plaints,” said the doctors. “ This is what infuriated the attendants Medical Superintendent SMHS who asked the concerned CMO to take action Hospital said, “ We are on the job of against the doctor,” he said requesting ano- mitigating the crisis and tomorrow we nymity. will have a conclusive meeting with The RDA refuted the allegation saying the concerned police station about that doctor who had to intubate was present beefing up the security in hospital.” but some relatives of the patient had refused Dr Adil Ashraf, President Resi- to get him intubated. dent Doctors Association, said from Meanwhile, SHO Karan Nagar Po- Saturday the resident doctors of GMC lice Station said no formal complaint and its associated hospitals will also was received from the attendants and be on strike. “ We will only work in relatives. casualty and emergency of the hospitals. From to- As per the hospital records, the patient whose “ The matter was resolved at the hospital morrow, no resident doctor will work in any GMC attendants thrashed the doctor on duty was suffer- only,” he said, adding that as per the inputs he re- Hospitals till our demands are met,” he said. ing from multiple life threatening conditions and ceived from the deployment at the hospital, the at- The doctors demanded that hospital puts in his prognosis had been explained to the attendants. tendants were angry and complaining against the place adequate security to prevent manhandling of “ He was in hospital from two days and we had ex- ‘ absent doctor’. 4 years on, Noorbagh Bridge still incomplete Will complete in September 2017: Chief Engineer R&B

v Yasir Gaffar has obstructed the smooth flow of traffic and is thus giving tough time Srinagar: How would you describe to both motorists and pedestrians.” the authorities of a place where it “This also causes heavy traffic takes them five to six years for com- jams due to which people especially pleting a bridge barely few metres? patients and students suffer a lot. Well, the higher officials here in Moreover it gets very difficult for the Roads and Buildings(R&B) depart- pedestrians to tread on the bridge as ment Srinagar have informed Merc they fear accident”, Shabir said. Times that the Noorbagh Bridge “The new bridge will not only would be completed in the month of help in minimizing the heavy rush September 2017. of vehicles on the already existing While the bridge has already Cement Bridge but will also help in crossed around four years since the reducing traffic jams”, said a group construction was started, the authori- Aqib Mir a resident of Qamar- nagar but also for the people who of locals. ties have fixed the completion date wari said the government is taking come from far off places like northern It is important to mention 20 months from now thus extending too much of time to complete this parts of the valley most of whom are that a portion of the already exist- the total construction period to more bridge. We want the Bridge to be the students or patients who have to ing Noorbagh Cement Bridge had than five years. completed soon. The already exist- visit Kashmir University or SKIMS sunk in September 2013 and had Satish Razdan Chief Engineer ing bridge is around 40 years old and hospital respectively. left behind a huge void for which R&B department said, “The work the growing rush of vehicles over this Shabir a student of Kashmir the R&B department officials had is currently going on. The project bridge has made travelling from this University and the resident of Qa- said that it was due to the leak- comes under the government of route a tough task. marwari said, “There is a little space age of the water supply pipeline scheme. It depends upon the funds The Qamarwari-Noorbagh for the motorists to pass through the of the Public Health Engineering that we receive. We are working ac- bridge is an important link for the bridge. The huge water pipe which Department which runs over the cording to the funds released.” people of not only local areas of Sri- has been laid on one side of the bridge Bridge. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ,MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR त U N IR IV M ER H MMERC } SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 16 | DECEMBER 30, 2015 8 Times

The work is currently going on in full swing, of course with police ERA WATER and paramilitary personnel guarding the workers and the SCHEME AGHAST machinery all day long CHADOORA VILLAGERS

v Irshad Ahmad local youth demanding to stop the on- cy (ERA) dumped the pipes in Sogam and claimed to have “taken the peo- going work on the water scheme. and started the work of laying the ple into confidence”. Director ERA, Srinagar: The locals of tehsil The scheme being executed by the pipeline from the village downwards. Malik Basharat said that the scheme Chadoora on 24 Dec held a protest ERA is a 43-crore project funded by “The protests against the scheme at will not dry up the river and that the against the Economic Reconstruction the Asian Development Bank. The that time forced the concerned offi- people have been taken into confi- Agency’s (ERA) decision to go ahead ERA proposes to source water from cials to stop the work. However it was dence, which the locals totally deny. with the proposed water scheme. the famous Doodhganga River at again started in this month”, said a The authorities also admitted that The ERA’s water scheme for few vil- Nowhar, some 20 kms from Chadoora local who wished anonymity. they took the help of Police and other lages of tehsil Chadoora has evoked carry it to Kralpora filtration plant The villagers of Sogam village al- paramilitary forces to pacify the pro- sharp criticism from the locals who and then supply it to uptown Sri- leged that the police, without any testers. resorted to stone pelting to press for nagar. provocation, ransacked their houses “The work is currently going on in their demands. Locals who fear that the scheme and “ruthlessly” banged the window- full swing, of course with police and Sources said heavy stone pelting will “dry up the river” have earlier in panes which compelled youth to pelt paramilitary personnel guarding the was reported in Sogam and adjacent May expressed their resentment after stones at them. workers and the machinery all day villages of Chadoora tehsil with the the Economic Reconstruction Agen- The officials however played safe long,” said a senior official. Bumpy ride for commuters on messy Malik Bagh-Rawalpora link road v Sarwat Nabi The condition of roads here is so Amir Mir, a local said “the di- bad that even a slight rainfall wa- lapidated condition of the road has Srinagar: The link road at Malik terlog the entire stretch that makes seriously damaged our vehicles. I Bagh in Rawalpora area of Srinagar the movement of locals of Malik recently got my car serviced and which is without macadamization Bagh from one place to another dif- was surprised to see that the wheel is giving a tough time to both mo- ficult.” alignment had got affected and had torists and the people who tread on “The uneven surface has not only to get tyres replaced.” this path. damaged our vehicles but pedes- Despite being a residential area, The road which is without macad- trians also get troubled. This has heavy vehicles are also seen ply- amization from past few years links made our lives very difficult and ing on this route which has further Kralpora and Rawalpora and has we request the authorities for their deteriorated the condition of the become a preferable route since oth- attention towards the matter,” he roads. er roads linking the two areas are added. Chief Engineer Road and Build- in most terrible condition as these The road is also of huge impor- ings, SatishRazdan, acknowledged too are filled with potholes which tance for most of the people residing the problem “We are aware of the make the journey of commuters there as it also leads to Industrial dilapidated condition of the road cumbersome and time consuming. Estate Rangreth, Air force station and will soon undertake its upgra- Karim Wani, a local said, “The and serves as a link road to Sri- dation including repairs and black- roads here are poorly maintained. nagar Airport via Humhama.` topping,”

EDITORIAL TEAM ﻮر य اﻟﻨ गम ﯽ त Patron: Prof. Khurshid Andrabi, Vice-Chancellor | Chief Editor: Faruq Masudi | Editor: Muslim Jan اﻟ ो ﺖ  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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:Graphic Artist: | Students Editorial Team: Layout ﻟ

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Aga Shahi Umar Shafi Umar Shafi ﻦ

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म त U e-mail: [email protected] | website: www.mercs.uok.edu.in N IR IV M ER H SITY OF KAS