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Sunday 21 Februay | 08 Rajab | 1442 Hijri | Vol:24 | Issue: 43 | Pages:12 | Price: `3

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3 News 7 why you may have to buy 11 Sports a new device whether Strange rules at Lakhanpur Toll you want to or not At Australian Open Men’s Plaza bring trouble for passengers We’ve probably all been there. We buy Final, Djokovic chases 18th

The passengers travelling from different parts of T hi n k some new smart gadget and when we plug Grand Slam, Medvedev 1st towards Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday complained it in for the first time it requires an update Novak Djokovic lost his first career Grand Slam final at that the authorities at Lakhanpur Toll Plaza are.... to work. So we end up spending.... the U.S. Open. Then he won his second, which came... Widom ‘They Were Once Mirrors’: Green ’s Stinking Waters The unexamined life is Auqib Javeed activists say, have failed to restore connected the lagoon not worth living.” the glory of the pristine water bodies to the lake and thus — Socrates 4-years old Zahida vividly re- of Srinagar. provided navigability between the members her childhood days “In a place like Kashmir, when ev- Dal and Aanchar lakes. It was filled 6when she used to bath and fetch erything is dominated by politics and up and converted to a road in the drinking water for home from Tsoont conflict, these things hardly get any 1970s. Environment activists and ex- Kole—a navigational canal running space,” said Zareef A. Zareef, a chron- perts term the “mindless move” as a through the Srinagar city. icler once part of Kashmir’s ‘Chipko death-knell to the . The water was so crystal clear, she Movement’. Today, most of the pristine water ANCHOR

recalled, that one could see face in it. Zareef blamed “unchecked political streams of Srinagar have become open “For us,” she added, “the tributary corruption” in the successive govern- dumping yards. From households to Lt Gen Raju To Be was the makeshift mirror to groom ments and peoples’ ignorance towards shops, everything and anything finds Army’s New DGMO our hair.” religious and social values for the cur- its way to these water channels. New Delhi: Lt Gen B S Raju, the P AG E 1 Zahida was born and brought-up rent situation of the water bodies. According to a report by the General-Officer-Commanding of in Kanimazar area of the old Srinagar, “During my childhood days,” the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, known as the “Venice of East” for its chronicler continued, “ Control Board, Srinagar generates will be the new Director General of shimmering and serpentine water was an important link connecting 201 million litres of sewage daily but Military Operations (DGMO) of the bodies. Back then, she would find the business centre of Srinagar. It was has the capacity to treat only 53.8 Indian Army, official sources said solace at the banks of the water body. for breath, so do the other tributaries garbage mostly polythene that could considered as a lifeline of the city. million litres. on Saturday. Lt Gen D P Pandey, But now, it breaks her heart to see its of the Dal Lake— that used to act like be seen piled up on the embank- However, with the arrival of motor “Disposal of untreated sewage into currently serving as the Director putrefying plight. lungs for the iconic water body. ments as well as in the water. transport, it gradually lost its sheen.” the Dal Lake and is one General of the Territorial Army, will Tsoont Kole is presently gasping The streams are choked with Successive regimes, environment Also known as Mar Kol, Nallah Mar of the main More On P10 succeed Lt Gen Raju at the crucial corps in Srinagar that carries out the Army’s counter-insurgency opera- tions in Kashmir, they said. Bihar Resident Lt Gen Raju, who More On P10 Arrested For 3 Lottery Sellers Held Militancy Links Alert Sounded At For ‘Cheating’ People Press Trust Of India Srinagar: Police arrested three Srinagar Airport lottery sellers on charges of cheat- Jammu: A 25-year-old Bihar res- ing people in Sogam area of north ident was arrested for his alleged Kashmir’s district, officials links with militants in Jammu said Saturday. Mehrajudin Shah, and Kashmir and was brought Yawar Irshad Malla and Wasim here on transit remand for ques- Akram Badroo were arrested after tioning on Saturday, police said. a woman from Takipora village of Javaid Alam Ansari's name Lolab complained to police that surfaced during questioning of the trio were cheating people in the Lashkar-e-Mustafa (LeM) chief name of lottery, they said. In this Hidayatullah Malik and was arrest- regard case, officials said, a case ed from his house at Deobahuara FIR No-03/2021 under section 420 village in Chapra on Monday night, IPC has been registered in Police a police official said. Station Sogam. Malik, a resident of , was arrested from the Kunjwani area Covid-19 Test Commissioner Kashmir Dr Shell Explodes In of Jammu on February 6. He had Shahid Iqbal Choudhary in School, Sweeper Injured KO Photo: Abid Bhat KO formed LeM, an offshoot of Pakistan- Report Now a meeting convened here Srinagar: A sweeper was injured based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, in as part of the preventive on Saturday after an old shell went August last year. Mandatory For plan to avert spread in the off while he was cleaning a private Ansari was arrested from his Inbound Travellers , an offi- school in area of north house on Monday night by the cial spokesperson said. Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Security Beefed Up Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Observer News Service He said that Choudhary Reyaz Ahmad Ahanger was clean- Patna after it came to light that directed for strengthening ing the Hillwill School when the he had links with Malik and had Srinagar: Taking no the preventive mechanism shell went off, leading to injuries to supplied pistols More On P10 chance in view of rising at the Srinagar airport in- him, official sources said Saturday. In Srinagar After coronavirus cases in parts structing the Srinagar and He was shifted to hospital and his of the country, the divi- district adminis- condition is stated to be stable, they PDP To Hold sional administration on trations to set up additional said. SP Handwara Dr GV Sandeep Saturday ordered a set of coronavirus testing fa- said that investigations into the Fresh Militant Strikes Presidential preventive measures, in- cilities there and to enable incident have revealed that it was cluding preventing the in- quick receipt of test reports. old shell which More On P10 Badar Bashir assault rifles, CRPF person- Polls On Feb 22 bound travellers to leave “Dr Shahid instructed nel and cops carried out IGP Calls For Agencies the airport until their test that no inbound traveller Father, Son Killed Srinagar: The government random frisking and iden- Strengthening reports are received, in a be allowed to leave the air- In Highway Crash forces on Saturday stepped tification checks at several Security Grid Srinagar: Peoples Democratic bid to avert the spread of port until their COVID-19 Jammu: A 70-year-old man and his up vigil around vital instal- places in the city, a day after Party (PDP) will conduct elec- virus in the Valley. test report is received di- son were killed while three others lations and conducted ran- two policemen were shot Press Trust Of India tions for the post of party The directions in this recting that test reports be suffered injuries when a van and dom frisking in parts of this dead by militants in Baghat President on February 22. regard were passed issued on the spot before n the wake of the recent a truck collided on the Jammu- capital city in wake of spurt Barzulla area of the city on In a statement issued here, a by Incharge Divisional letting the More On P10 spurt in militant attacks in Pathankot highway in Samba in militant attacks this week the Srinagar International party spokesman said that the Srinagar, Inspector General district of Jammu region in the early that left two policemen dead airport road, witnesses told I members of the electoral col- of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar hours of Saturday, police said. and a civilian injured. Kashmir Observer. lege from Kashmir & Jammu on More On P10 Both the vehicles were coming from Wearing bullet proof vests The forces, they said, had provinces will vote to elect the Kathua and the accident took place and helmets and carrying also erected More On P10 party president on Monday in IAF Withdraws Jammu near Mansar Morh around 2 am, a Srinagar and Jammu respec- police official said. He said Hans Raj tively. The three-year term of Airport Closure Order and his son Sohan Lal (35), residents Police had also blocked the road near Regal Chowk with Mehbooba Mufti as the party of Ramgarh area of Samba, died on an armoured vehicle to restrict the movement of traffic. There was president ended on October Restricted Flight airport for 15 days next month the spot, while three others Ramesh unprecedented security around and its adjoining localities.” 31st last year but fresh elections Operations During Runway for resurfacing work of the run- Chander (60), More On P10 couldn’t be held More On P10 way, officials said on Saturday. Resurfacing Work The decision was reviewed Press Trust Of India and modified by the IAF in consultation with the Airport HC Closes ‘Unnecessary’ PIL Jammu: The flight operations Authority of India (AAI) at a Govt Aiming To Take J&K’s Export to and from Jammu airport meeting on Friday following in- would be restricted to seven structions from the Union Defence On Sangarmaal Allotments Worth To Rs 5000 Crore: LG hours for 41 days from March Ministry, the officials said. Urges Srinagar, Jammu Be Opened To Regular Commercial International Flights 10 as the Indian Air Force with- A day earlier, Defence Agencies the public interest litigation is drew its earlier order propos- Secretary Ajay Kumar chaired involved, in default of the author- Observer News Service ing complete closure of the a joint meeting More On P10 Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir ity having failed to adhere to the High Court has closed as “unnec- provisions of law,” the court said, Jammu: Asserting that his essary” a Public Interest Litigation adding, “It is for the Government government is aimed to take which had sought cancellation to look into all these matters, Jammu and Kashmir’s export HC Orders FIR Against of all allotments in “Sangarmaal which are already regulated by worth from Rs 1400 crore to Shopping Complex” here and re- the laws of the land. ...the instant Rs 5000 crore in the next two covery of all dues as arrears of land petition, being unnecessary, shall years, Lieutenant Governor, Facebook India, Others revenue so that the amount stand closed.” Manoj Sinha on Saturday re- was used for welfare In essence, the court said, quested that the twin capitals In Online Fraud Case schemes within SDA’s the petitioner—Jammu and of Srinagar and Jammu be jurisdiction. Kashmir Peoples Forum— opened to regular commercial Press Trust Of India 17, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur “We do not feel that was interested in promot- International flights to give a said the in-charge, cyber cell the Court has to remind ing and securing the de- boost to tourism and trade. Jammu: The Jammu and of police would register an FIR the authorities about velopment of the local area, Sinha made these remarks Kashmir High Court has di- and the same would be investi- the implementation of according to plan. while speaking at the 6th new trajectory that the newly peace and prosperity. Today, rected that an FIR be regis- gated by the concerned branch the provisions of law and plans, For that purpose, the court said, Governing Council meeting carved UT has undertaken in among the people of Jammu tered against Facebook India, dealing with cyber offences. regulating the development of the authority has the power to of NITI Aayog, through vir- the past 17 months. & Kashmir, there is an out- its country head and six others The order was passed on a pe- the cities, towns etc., in Jammu acquire, hold, manage and dis- tual mode, an official spokes- “After 5th August 2019, look of hopeful optimism,” on the complaint of a local resi- tition filed by Vivek Sagar through and Kashmir,” said a bench of pose of land and other property person said Saturday. During Jammu & Kashmir got new op- Sinha said, as per an official dent that he was duped of over advocate Deepak Sharma. Justices Ali Mohammad Magrey to carry out building, engineering the meeting, he said, the LG portunities of socio-economic spokesperson. Rs 20,000 by an online fraud- The high court set aside and Vinod Chatterji Koul. and other operations, to execute highlighted major reforma- development that were not While making suggestions ster through an advertisement the September 2, 2020 order “The petitioner has come in works in connection with supply tive measures taken by the UT there for many decades. J&K for giving further push to the placed on the popular social by the special railway mag- the PIL with vague pleadings and of water and electricity, disposal administration, besides ap- is passing through a period of developmental process in networking website last year. istrate, Jammu directing SSP have not detailed out as to how of sewerage and More On P10 prising the meeting about the transition for development, Jammu and More On P10 In an order dated February Crime Branch to More On P10