News Kashmir Magazine

News Kashmir Bureau

Clean, safe drinking water is becoming scarce in the once water rich valley of Kashmir. The water woes are getting more aggravated in this holy month of Ramadan. People throughout the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley are complaining about the scarcity of potable water and many areas are witnessing protests as a result.

Pertinently, Downtown areas of Srinagar city are specially hit by this water scarcity and even once water sufficient areas are getting low volumes of water. The other areas like Batmaloo,Iddgah, Rawalpora have also  been facing dire problems with reference to drinking water.  In many areas of Kashmir the water supply schemes are taking much time to mature.

Even the rural areas like Pattan, Tral, Tangmarg etc are hit by this acute water scarcity.

In worrying statistics, more than 40 per cent of the rural areas in Jammu and Kashmir do not have access to proper drinking water facilities but the state government has guaranteed that all such habitations will be covered by 2020.

Pertinently,  state has 15,798 rural habitations, out of which 8,535 habitations (54 per cent) are fully covered and are being provided drinking water at 40-55 litres per consumer daily, Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Farooq Ahmad Andrabi said at the Legislative Council recently .

As a matter of fact, the water crisis has reached the Assembly as recently  PDP MLA from Sonawar, Muhammad Ahsraf Mir, said that people in his constituency are “crying” for drinking water.

“People in my constituency are facing immense problems because of water scarcity. They have been continuously complaining about it, but the government is not addressing the issue,” Mir said.

Mir said that the officials in PHE are giving wrong information to the government and especially to the minister concerned about availability of water and water supply schemes.

“Strict action should be taken against these officers for misleading the minister and the government,” he said, adding, “The information provided about water supply schemes and pipeline is totally baseless. The officers have said that Rs. 10 lakh have been spent for pipes, but only less than Rs. 1 lakh has been spent so far,” he said.While replying to the legislator, Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan assured that action will be taken against the “erring” officials.

Representatives from several other constituencies have raised the issue of scarce water in their areas.

Abdul Ahad, a commoner while talking to News Kashmir states- “ We the people from Downtown are facing thirsty Ramadan on account of lack of water supply which is giving rise to multiple problems as we all know that water is life. The concerned authorities should wake up and ensure quality and uninterrupted water supply to us.”

Undoubtedly, people throughout the valley are facing acute shortage of water which is making life more difficult especially in the fasting month of Ramadan.

News Kashmir Analysis

Violence has started to revisit the already turbulent valley of Kashmir. Series of acts of violence have followed one another indicating that the summer 2016 is going to be full of unrest in Kashmir valley. A glance at recent violent acts hint that graph of violence is running at a very high pace in Kashmir .

In the month of May several cops and militants were killed in attacks and encounters. June has witnessed much more deadly violence. A Jammu and Kashmir Police sub-inspector and a constable were killed on Saturday the 4th June when militants  attacked a police party in Anantnag district in a sensational attack .

Soon after this violent episode, the South Kashmir Bijbehra township was rocked by deadly attack   when  Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were killed in a militant  attack in Bijbehara .

As the details followed three jawans of Border Security Force (BSF) were killed and seven others were injured when their convoy was attacked by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’sBijbehara .Three civilians were also injured in the attack considered to be as a guerrilla attack on the security forces.

In a latest episode on 15th June , there were two grenade attacks by militants within a span of 10 minutes in Shopian district of Kashmir this evening, resulting in injuries to two civilians.

The first attack took place at 5.30 pm when militants threw a grenade at the police station building complex in Shopian town, a police official said.

The grenade exploded in the compound of the police station without causing any damage, he said.

In the second attack, the militants threw a grenade at Batapora chowk, about 200 metres away from the police station, resulting in injuries to two civilians.

The injured persons have been admitted to District Hospital for treatment, the official.

The chain of violent events has been witnessed in every region of Kashmir since past few months. Recently,  a  soldier was killed and at least four militants killed in an encounter in border area of North Kashmir  .

Lamenting these killings, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has some time back stated that such violent incidents hamper peace efforts between India and its neighbour.

“If we create a conducive atmosphere, only then will the two countries be able to talk. If incidents like this and Pathankot happen then Pakistan should also think about it. They (Pakistan) are fighting this menace in their country. They say they have affection for the people of Kashmir, but what sort of affection is this,” she asked.

Ajaz Ahmad, a political watcher states –“the periods of violence have hit the valley of Kashmir from time to time and it is this atmosphere of uncertainty that has kept the Kashmir under boil. We should understand that unsolved political issue of Kashmir is keeping the situation continuously volatile and turbulent. Confidence building measures with reference to solving political issue of Kashmir are need of the hour.”

Gauging the scale of violence of past few months in Kashmir the challenges for recently formed government of PDP BJP seem to be getting more tough and pronounced.

News Kashmir Exclusive

Brands and items represent a nation on global radar. Despite volatile situation Kashmir has been known for producing great crafts as Kashmiri Handicrafts holds a rich history of craftsmanship and the residents of this valley have skillfully nurtured their cultural heritage. But over the time fake products being sold in the name of Kashmiri handicrafts has ruined the image of Brand Kashmir. Even the recent controversy revolving around Khyber Milk ruined the reputation of Kashmir’s Corporate and branding sector. The Health and Medical Education Department, in its order No HD/Legal/Drug/MR-56/2016 dated 06-04-2016 had  ordered that no milk or milk product of the company be available for human consumption till these products are declared safe by a referral laboratory in Kolkata.

One cannot reflect on this issue without having a glance of golden legacy.Pandit Anand Koul, a noted writer giving an account of the development of these crafts writes, “Zain-ul-Abidin turned Kashmir into a smiling garden of industry inculcating in the hearts of the people sane conceptions of labour and life and also implanting in their minds the germs of real progress. He introduced correct measures and weights and made artisans and traders take solemn oaths (which in those halcyon days one could not easily break) not to kill their golden goose by cheating and swindling. He thus promoted commercial morality and integrity and industrial righteousness-qualities which constitute the backbone of a people’s credit and reputation. It was through these virtues that the Kashmiris successfully carried on shawl and other trades at a period when Kashmir was an isolated country and communications with outside world were very difficult.”

Lateef Ahmad , an expert voice states –“Handicrafts items fetch good foreign exchange revenue to the Jammu and Kashmir and over five lakh persons are engaged in handicrafts and handloom sectors the state. Painfully enough, the issue of fake craft products has been taken seriously by the government and only few solutions to this problem have also been proposed.

Expert voices have been demanding that GI registration of handicrafts has already helped many states. Tamil Nadu has the third largest number of registered GIs for handicrafts and handlooms after Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. According to these voices the need of hour is to bring more Kashmiri crafts under GI. Once GI registration is received for all major handicraft products, it will help to build up “brand Kashmir” of handicrafts across globe.

On the otherhand recent controversy in which the government has issued orders for implementing the judgment of Judicial Magistrate Budgam and ordered Controller Drug and Food Control Organisation to “remove milk and milk products manufactured by Khyber Agro Farms Private Limited ‘immediately’ has also raised many questions on the practices adopted by the corporate houses of Kashmir.”

Be it the issue of fake items sold in name of Kashmiri Handicrafts or the Khyber Milk controversy of recent times serious questions are being raised about business culture of Kashmir and amid all this Brand Kashmir is taking a hit.

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