JK to receive additional 293 MW power from Dec-01

‘In past seven days, KPDCL have conducted 7585 inspections in different districts of Kashmir and imposed a fine of Rs.68 Lakhs on the defaulters’

Srinagar, Nov 30 (KNO): Jammu and Kashmir is all set to receive 293 Megawatt (MW) of power supply from the centre from tomorrow (December 1).

Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Principal Secretary Power Development Department H. Rahesh Prasad said, “Central government has allocated 293 MW more power to Jammu and Kashmir government.”

He said the supply will be received from December-01. “This is in addition to the recently purchased 500 MW agreement.”

“I think power supply is sufficient now and our focus shall be on revenue collection,” Prasad said.

Meanwhile, a JKPDD spokesman in a statement said that the Government of India (GoI) has increased power allocation to J&K by about 293 MW, round the clock, by transferring power from distant power houses in West Bengal, Bihar and even Bhutan.

The spokesman, while highlighting the concerns raised in recent news items being published, reiterated that a persistent issue contributing to these interruptions is the non-disclosure of actual electric load by consumers.

Regarding the hours of power supply to consumers, the official said that smart metering is under implementation in a mission mode and the focus is on ensuring uninterrupted and regular power supply in areas saturated with smart meters, while also curbing losses.

“In areas without smart metering, the department is sustaining the same number of power supply hours as maintained during the previous year,” it reads.

The JKPDD statement further said that there is a curtailment schedule in effect which is diligently being published to prevent any inconvenience to the public.

According to the JKPDD official, numerous crude heaters which have been banned by the department were recovered by the enforcement squads of KPDCL in the recently conducted inspection drives.

“In the last seven days, inspection teams of KPDCL have conducted 7585 number of inspections in different districts of Kashmir region and imposed a fine of Rs.68 Lakhs on the defaulters,” it reads.

Regarding new power allocations made on Nov-30 by GoI to J&K, it was informed that Jammu and Kashmir, being primarily dependent on hydroelectric power, faces significant fall in generation during winters due to low water level in rivers.

“Consequently, around 85 percent of power supply during winters is sourced from Thermal Plants to compensate for the deficit during winters,” it reads.

It however further said that the UT was making every effort to ensure sustainable and firm power availability throughout the year.

“In this direction, during the current financial year, the UT has entered into historic Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 1600 MW of Solar power , 900 MW from Hydro, and an additional 500 MW from thermal plants, currently in progress following the decision of the UT Administrative Council under the Shakti Policy,” it reads—(KNO)

Kashmir parts receive fresh snowfall, rains lash plains

Several roads closed, minimum temperature rise again, MeT predicts improvement from tomorrow

Owais Gul

Srinagar, Nov 30 (KNO): The famous ski-resort, Gulmarg and several other places of Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall while the rains lashed plains on Thursday. However, the weatherman here has predicted improvement in weather conditions from tomorrow.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), scores of places including Sonamarg, Machil, Bhaderwah, Chowkibal Tangdhar, Keran, Gulmarg, Doodhpathri and other areas experienced fresh snowfall.

Nonetheless, the rains lashed the plains of Kashmir since the wee hours of this morning and continued intermittently throughout the day.

Moreover, Director Meteorological department (MeT), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that the weather is expected to improve from tomorrow.

The weather conditions are expected to remain cloudy till December 09, he said, adding that there is no forecast of any major activity during the period. He added the cloudy weather is expected during the period, but no major activity is predicted till December 09, 2023.

Meanwhile, the night temperature improved across Kashmir with Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recording a minimum temperature of 5.3 degree Celsius.

The mercury in Qazigund settled at 5.0 degree Celsius while in Pahalgam it settled at 1.5 degree Celsius.

According to data, Konibal and Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.0 degree Celsius each.

The prevailing weather conditions have forced the closure of several roads today. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for the traffic despite the inclement weather conditions. However, Srinagar-Sonamarg-GumrRoad was closed for nearly one hour today, but was thrown open for traffic immediately after the road clearance work was done.

Officials said that after fresh snowfall was witnessed at several places including ‘Pir Ki Gali’, the authorities decided to close the road for vehicular movement.

Also, the fresh snowfall in northern districts also led to the closure of several roads.

“As a precautionary measure, the roads leading to Karnah sector, Keran sector, and Machil sector were closed this morning due to snowfall,” they said.

The official further said that the snow clearance operation shall begin only after the improvement in weather conditions—(KNO)

Over 4,000 cancer patients registered at SKIMS till Sept this year; 44,000 since 2014

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, Nov 30 (KNO): In a worrisome trend, Kashmir’s leading tertiary care hospital, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, has registered over 4,000 cases of cancer this year so far, while over 44,000 have been registered at the institute since 2014.

According to details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), 4,095 new cancer registrations have been done at SKIMS Soura till September this year. The institute has registered 44,112 cases of cancer from 2014 until September 2023.

As per details, 3,940 cases were registered in 2014, followed by 4,417 in 2015, 4,320 in 2016, 4,352 in 2017, 4,816 in 2018, 4,337 in 2019, 3,814 in 2020, 4,727 in 2021, 5,294 in 2022, and 4,095 in the ongoing year till September.

Officials said that cancer cases have shown a steep rise in Kashmir, adding that in men, lung cancer is the most prominent one, while women are fast falling prey to breast cancer.

“Smoking is one of the primary reasons for cancer among males, besides family history, obesity, and age, among other factors, responsible for the cancer cases,” they said, adding that early detection of the disease helps provide timely treatment, which ultimately can help save precious lives.

Cancer is a multi-dimensional disease and the risk factors, inter alia, include an ageing population, sedentary lifestyle, use of tobacco products, unhealthy diet, and air pollution, doctors said. They urged patients having symptoms of cancer to come forward, as early treatment can prevent the disease from spreading further and then help save a life.

Doctors further said that quality treatment is available as far as Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy are concerned, besides the continuous enhancement of infrastructure for quality patient care.

According to data from the Union Health Ministry, 51,577 cases of cancer were reported in J&K in the last four years (2019-2022), with 12,396 in 2019, 12,726 cases in 2020, 13,060 cases in 2021, and 13,395 cases in 2022.

A total of 35,623 people in J&K died of cancer between 2018 and 2022, with 6,824 cancer patients reported to have died in 2018, 7,003 deaths reported in 2019, 7,189 deaths reported in 2020, 7,211 deaths reported in 2021, and 7,396 cancer patient fatalities reported in 2022.

Pertinently, a 2012 study of SKIMS attributed the rising cancer incidence to “dietary practices and lifestyle choices” as well as the intake of foods with high salt content—(KNO)

Lt Governor addresses Amar Ujala’s Rising J&K Conclave at Jammu

Highlights the impressive strides in different sectors and emergence of J&K as a model Union Territory

Jammu, Nov 30 (KNO): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the ‘Rising Jammu Kashmir’ Conclave organized by Amar Ujala Group at Jammu on Thursday.

The Lt Governor highlighted the impressive strides in different sectors and the emergence of J&K as a model Union Territory. He said the UT is growing at an unprecedented rate with steadfast resolve and commitment to ensure welfare of the common man.

“Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are witnessing the rise of a developed Union Territory. This divine land in a true sense has been transformed as a ‘Paradise on Earth’,” the Lt Governor said.

At the conclave, the Lt Governor shared the key initiatives of the UT Administration to ensure ease of living for citizens.

He said the acceleration of J&K’s all-round development and the empowerment of the common man are benefitting all sections of society.

Our focus is not just faster but also inclusive and sustainable growth. We are laying the foundation of industrialization and modern agriculture & allied sectors to create new opportunities for youth, farmers and women, he added.

The Lt Governor said the UT administration is determined to create fear-free and terrorism-free J&K. He said the administration has been successful in dismantling the ecosystem of conflict profiteers, terrorists, secessionists, and terrorism is now breathing its last breath.

“I am confident this decade will be the golden decade for J&K,” he said.

Senior officers of Civil and Police Administration, senior journalists, prominent personalities from different walks of life, and people in large numbers were present—(KNO)

5 KU employees suspended over altercation in campus; Probe ordered

Srinagar, Nov 30 (KNO): Five employees of the Kashmir University have been placed under suspension following an altercation over a “minor” car mishap on the campus, officials said.

According to an order issued by KU’s General Administration Department on Wednesday, November 29, Riyaz Ahmad Rather, Assistant Xerox Operator, Department of Chemistry; Mohammad Shafi Rather, Orderly, Dean Education Office; Irfan Rather, Helper, Construction Division and Aquib Ahmad Wani, Helper, Directorate of Distance Education have been placed under suspension “pending inquiry in the matter”.

Sources said the altercation took place when vehicles of Riyaz and Aquib had a minor collision outside the Allama Iqbal Library when the University had closed for the day, at around 4.30pm Wednesday. Soon, the altercation took an ugly turn while other two employees also joined the fistfight, which was caught on camera by many passer-by students and employees.

“It was a scene of utter hooliganism which didn’t augur well with the University settings. Many students sought action against the employees for setting a bad precedent,” said an official privy to the incident.

He said such episodes could have a negative impact on the psyche of students, besides tarnishing the image of the University in the eyes of the public.

“The VC directed strict action against the employees over hooliganism and indiscipline, leading to their suspension. An inquiry committee has been set up to further probe into the matter and recommend future course of action,” the official said.

This is for the second time an on-campus altercation was caught on camera, much to the embarrassment of the University.

Last year, two senior professors of the University resorted to fistfighting in front of students, forcing the University to relieve them from headship of their respective assignments—(KNO)