News Kashmir Magazine

Winter fires

News Kashmir Analysis

Kashmir is known for having one of the harshest winters in world. The winter starts from Mid November and peaks from Mid December and lasts till March end. Sometime winter effects lasts till end May.

As a matter of fact, the fire incidents spiral almost out of control in Kashmir come winters. The basic reason is the careless use of electronic Gadgets by the masses that leads to the fire incidents rising in winters.

Just few days back, At least eight structures were damaged after fire erupted on Tuesday afternoon in a locality of Abhi Gurpora Rainawari of central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

Officials had stated  that fire broke out in a house and soon engulfed other structures in the vicinity in Rainawari.

Fire incidents in Kashmir over the past few years is a matter of serious concern. The scores of deaths and loss of crores of property is a matter of serious concern.

Last month Kishtwar saw havoc fires garnering worldwide headlines.

major fire broke out in Mulwarwan village of Kishtwar in Jammu Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon. According to police, 68 houses were damaged by the fire.

Locals in Mulwarwan village of Kishtwar sought help after the fire destroyed their houses.

As a matter of fact, Houseboat fires are also a matter of serious concern.

Recently five houseboats were gutted in tragic fires.

Three tourists whre killed and eight others had to be rescued after the fire that broke out at a Houseboat on Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Saturday, 11 November 2023, police had said .

That time ,

According to officials, three tourists from Bangladesh namely Anindaya Kowshal, Das Gupta, and Mohammad Moinud, who were staying in houseboat Safeena lost their lives in the devastating fire, they added.

The statistics over the years are worrying. to the Fire and Emergency Services, there were 2,342 fire incidents in the year 2021, including 341 fires in the month of December 2021, in which property worth Rs. 70 crore was damaged.  As per official figures, across Kashmir Division, the Fire & Emergency Department received 2242 fire calls from January to December 2021, during which 75 people lost their lives.

Kashmir valley witnessed a rise of over 30 per cent in the total number of fire incidents recorded in the year 2022 against the year 2020.

One hopes that masses will take all the steps during ongoing winters to safeguard themselves from fires that hurts interests of one and all.

Stormy JK Assembly Session

News Kashmir Analysis

The first session of historic Jammu and Kashmir Assembly 2024 was held in Srinagar from 4 November to 8 November, the 5 day session was no less than a political storm.

Noisy scenes, MLAs being Marshalled out, disturbances ,slogans all were witnessed during the session.

On First Day, Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha, in his address to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s first session on Monday (November 4, 2024), underscored the need for restoration of Statehood. On the other hand, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra’s move to bring a resolution, though against protocol, on revocation of Article 370 caused an uproar in the House.

While as THE Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Wednesday passed a resolution seeking a dialogue for “restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees” to the Union Territory and urging that “constitutional mechanisms” be worked out for the same. The resolution was passed by a voice vote, with all parties barring the BJP supporting it.

On Thursday 7 November,  2024 Chaotic scenes played out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly early morning over the resolution seeking restoration of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. BJP MLAs clashed with the marshals after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered that some of the protesting Opposition MLAs be removed from the House. A poster seeking restoration of Article 370 sparked another melee involving several MLAs, including J&K People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone.

The session was then adjourned.

It is worth mentioning here that Chaotic scenes were witnessed in J&K legislative assembly on the fifth and last working day with PDP, PC and AIP MLAs entering into a scuffle with BJP legislators.

Soon after the house convened friday morning, BJP legislators continued to make ruckus over the special status resolution passed by the assembly.

In his address, CM Omar Abdullah told the assembly that the words in the resolution were chosen carefully so that doors wouldn’t shut on them.

“We drafted this resolution carefully. What if we had brought a resolution that would have been rejected immediately? The PM and HM are now talking about our resolution. If it had no impact, they would have remained silent,”.

Also , Chief Minister Omar Abdullah opined After long time, I got opportunity to speak on L-G’s address; so much has changed, we lost a lot. He thanked LG Manoj Sinha for promising Statehood and hoped it would be fulfilled soon.

” I welcome investment in Jammu and Kashmir but we will not sell our crown Jewels,  observed Omar Abdullah.

The first session of historic Assembly was noisy, controversial and marred by bitterness which is hoped to be avoided in future.

Thar Havoc reflects Kashmir accidents tragedy

News Kashmir Analysis

Mahindra Thar was first introduced in India in 2010. Named after the great Indian desert, the Thar gained popularity soon after its launch due to its dominating road presence.

But this famed vehicle became headline in the past week in Kashmir due to a road accident tragedy, probably due to high speed.

The place was Tengpora Srinagar and date was 14 November, 2024.

official said that the collision occurred in the afternoon, resulting in the on-the-spot deaths of two individuals and injuries to another.

The deceased have been identified as Hammad of Lal Bazar and Azeem of Sanat Nagar. The injured person has been identified as Mohammad Eissa Ganie of Nowshera.

Two others were injured. All of them were students .

Almost daily deaths of humans in tragic traffic accidents in Kashmir, and most of them being young reminds us of many undoing as society.

Reckless driving , minors driving ,license less driving , poor road quality have all coupled to give rise to these traffic disasters.

SSP Traffic Srinagar Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, while talking to News Kashmir observed that :” The onus lies on parents and society to get awared about following the right sense. How come parents are giving their vehicles to minors below age of 18 as it is crime. They should not give driving skills to the minors because once they do it children commit blunders.  This skill should be given at legal age. The youth should avoid rash driving. Society also needs to get awared about same especially following due rules and regulations. We as traffic department ate also accelerating our job and concerned by the recent tragic accident involving Thar resulting in unfortunate deaths of children. It is not humanely possible to check each and every vehicle in a city like Srinagar wherein lakhs of vehicles ply, all need to get awared and follow laws and regulations. “

As a matter of fact, in our country too road accident deaths are becoming matter of concern.

Over 1.7 lakh persons were killed in road accidents in 2023. That translates to an average of 474 lives lost every day or one death almost every three minutes, as per data shared by states with central govt. This is the highest number of people killed in a year since govt started collating road accident data at the national level to assess the extent of the problem and reasons behind crashes .

Jammu and Kashmir has a ugly and painful data related to accident deaths.

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a very worrying spurt  in road accidents in the first nine months of the year, with 4,457 accidents resulting in 621 deaths and 6,122 injuries across the Union Territory.

The recent Thar Havoc has brought to light rising number of road accident deaths in Kashmir.

Air pollution a challenge in Kashmir

News Kashmir Analysis

Kashmir valley which is known for its natural beauty allover the world has seen degrading air quality over the past few decades due to varied reasons. Delhi too despite being national capital has faced severe air crisis in past decades and it should be lesson for us in Kashmir.

concerns over the air quality of Delhi and its surrounding regions mount, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday announced that the government has set up a coordination committee to identify and address local sources of pollution at 13 locations in Delhi where air quality has touched the “very poor” mark.

The air quality becomes a special cause of concern especially in the winter months in Kashmir too .

Pollution is emerging as serious challenge to the country. Jammu and Kashmir especially once serene Kashmir valley is also in grip of it now.

pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases and are important sources of morbidity and mortality. It is a big global issue .

WHO data show that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.

Few time back in worrying development and having Sounded  an alarm, the Former  Director SKIMS, Dr Parvaiz Koul  had  said around 10 thousands deaths in J&K are attributed to air pollution every year.

As a matter of fact, the sidelines of the launch of Doctors for clean Air and Climate Action, J&K Chapter, he said that yearly around ten thousand deaths are attributed to particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) exposure and there is need to control it by countering it.

According to World Health Organization The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution is associated with 7 million premature deaths annually. Sources of air pollution are multiple and context specific.

The need of the hour is we resort to massive tree planting in Kashmir to save ourselves from bad air quality.

Polythene monster in Kashmir

News Kashmir Analysis

Polythene monster is still being seen in Kashmir used by people and shopkeepers, street vendors despite bans and awareness campaigns. The people of Kashmir are still not awakening to the monster impacts of polythene.

Polythene still being used and customers also taking items in Polythene without questioning is a trending thing in Kashmir.

Polythene is a  monster of epic proportions.

Polythene is generally considered an hazard for our environment and agriculture as it has damaging consequences on the same. Use of polythene bags is rampant across the valley of Kashmir posing a very serious threat to the environment Despite the ban witnesses reveal .In nutshell  the menace of polythene is back to worry the people of Kashmir.

It is a general trend  to see polythene abundantly used still in the nook and corner of the Kashmir Valley from rural to urban areas  despite blanket ban by the authorities announced more than decade ago.

 It is an open secret that the shopkeepers and the vendors are openly seen providing polythene to their customers for carrying various  goods and different  eatables.

Pertinently a decade back the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State government had banned the transportation, dumping, sale and use of non-biodegradable materials in the state.

otherhand, on environmental front the beautiful Valley of Kashmir is facing massive problems. Kashmir’s ecological balance has been harshly disturbed as a result of unabated environmental destruction over a period of several   decades and the resurfacing of polythene monster is going to make the problem further shoddier.

The expert pulse is that in a landfill, a plastic bag will take roughly 1,000 years to degrade. Undergoing a process called photo-degradation, sunlight will transform the plastic into smaller pieces called microplastics. These microplastics can persist in our environment indefinitely, and they often end up mistaken as food.

Although, the only silver lining in dark clouds is that at few serene tourist spots in Kashmir the polythene bag ban has worked very well.

We need to awake as society and shun the use of polythene bags especially. The educated youth of Kashmir need to wake up and educate all about the ills of polythene bags and also further strict and swift action by the authorities on polythene sale and use.

Cashless transactions booming in India

News Kashmir Analysis

India is taking rapid strides towards becoming a cashless economy which is a great development for one and all.

When the transactions in an economy are not heavily based on the money notes, coins or any other physical form of money but are aided by the use of credit cards, debit cards and prepaid payment instruments, such an economy is called cashless economy.

India is taking huge steps to become a major  cashless economy.

As a matter of fact, The Digital India programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. “Faceless, Paperless, Cashless” is one of professed role of Digital India

The country is leading the way towards a cashless economy. India with 89.5 million digital transactions in the year 2022 has topped the list of five countries in digital payments, according to government data.

We need to bear in mind that few time back,  cashless economy refers to a system where digital transactions have taken completely over physical cash. Instead, digital channels such as debit cards, credit cards, internet banking, mobile wallets, electronic fund transfers and digital currencies are used to carry out day-to-day transactions.

In India,  few time back

A tweet by MyGovIndia, a citizen engagement platform of the government of India, read: “India keeps dominating the digital payment landscape! With innovative solutions and widespread adoption, we’re leading the way towards a cashless economy.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the number of cashless transactions the United States does in three years, India does in a month. Jaishankar’s statement came while he was interacting with the people of the Indian community in Nigeria recently.

The country will see lot of benefits by becoming a cashless economy.

Cashless Economy enhances convenience, as digital payments can be made anytime and anywhere, reducing the need for carrying physical cash. It improves transparency and accountability, as digital transactions leave a digital trail that can be tracked and audited.

Greater application of digital payments will save a lot as it will help in bringing down the cost of cash in India. The development of a cashless economy would lead to transparency, curb corruption and lead to convenience for economic growth.

Be it Kashmir or anyother part of the country cashless transactions are taking a major place and having the edge .

Elderly Person Difficulties

Elderly persons are the storehouse of heritage and experience. The older persons are synonyms of intellect and wisdom.

The number of older persons, over subsequent three decades across the world is projected more than double, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050 and 80% of them will be living in low-and-middle-income countries.”

International Day of Older Persons is observed on October 1 annually and is a United Nation’s designated day to recognise the contribution of older persons and also to examine the issues faced by them or affect their lives.

We in Kashmir have number of old persons facing problems some deserted by there children and some having children outside in search of livelihood.

As a matter of fact, United Nations General Assembly designated 1 October as the International Day of the Older Persons  (resolution 45/106) on 14 December 1990. The initiatives were taken via the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing that was adopted by the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.

The General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons in 1991. The Second World Assembly on Ageing in 2002 adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. It was done to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and also to promote the development of a society for all ages.

Advertisement

Some facts

In recent decades, the composition of the world population has changed dramatically. Between 1950 to 2010, life expectancy across the world rose from 46 to 68 years. There were around 703 million persons aged 65 or over in 2019 across the world. The region of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of older persons (261 million), followed by Europe and Northern America (over 200 million).

The number of older persons worldwide is projected to more than double over the next three decades. It will reach more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050. Between 2019 and 2050, all regions will see an increase in the size of the older population.

In Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, the largest increase of around 312 million is projected to occur, growing from 261 million in 2019 to 573 million in 2050.

In Northern Africa and Western Asia, the fastest increase in the number of older persons is expected to rise from 29 million in 2019 to 96 million in 2050 that is an increase of 226 percent.

The second-fastest increase is projected for sub-Saharan Africa. Here, the population aged 65 or over could grow from 32 million in 2019 to 101 million in 2050 that is 218 percent.

In 2050, the development groups that are less developed countries excluding the least developed countries will be home to more than two-thirds of the world’s older population around 1.1 billion as per the UN.

In the least developed countries, the fastest increase is projected to take place where the number of persons aged 65 or over could rise from 37 million in 2019 to 120 million in 2050 that is 225 percent.

We too in Kashmir have lot of old people and many of them face difficulty.

Srinagar in limelight- Phase 2 Assembly 2024

News Kashmir Analysis

Srinagar is the soul of Jammu and Kashmir.  It is an historic city.

This year the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar has been officially recognised as a ‘World Craft City’ by the World Crafts Council last week as its recognition will boost the handloom and handicraft sectors of the valley as this prestigious honour underscores the city’s rich heritage and the exceptional skills of its artisans whose dedication and artistry.

The assembly elections happening after a gap of 10 years and first after the historic abrogation of article 370 have brought much focus on Srinagar,  which has history of very low voting.

The Election campaign in Srinagar has been electrifying with after gap of nearly 40 years such festive atmosphere being witnessed as candidates try to woo voters.

During the last elections,  Hazratbal Assembly Constituency had the highest voting percentage of 29 percent among the Constituencies with Habbakadal lowest of 21 percent.  Zadibal Assembly Constituency had voting percentage of mere 23.64 and Khanyar 26 percent.

As a matter of fact , Srinagar after delimitation has 8 Assembly constituencies.  The Chanapora Assembly Constituency is the latest addition. Srinagar has been historically a NC bastion with often NC winning most of the seats. This time around a nail bitting fight is witnessed between PDP and NC on 7 seats ,with Apni Party also putting a strong fight in Chanapora.

The women underrepresented in these elections is a matter of serious concern.

of 93 candidates vying for eight assembly seats in Srinagar, only three are women. This minuscule representation becomes even more pronounced when these three candidates contest in only two of the eight constituencies.

PM Modi too during recent Srinagar rally struck historic pulse.

We have said in the parliament that we will restore (the region’s) statehood. Only the BJP will fulfill this commitment,” PM Modi said to a cheering crowd at the rally while referring to Bharatiya Janata Party, without specifying any timeline for the return of statehood.

He called the ongoing election the festival of democracy in the region. “Jammu and Kashmir is strengthening the democracy of India, and I congratulate the people for this,” he said.

The political pulse is excited whether the current elections would witness increase in voting percentage in Srinagar or not .

The eyes would be all set on the 24th September to watch the key elections and analyze them.

Historic J&K First Phase Polls

News Kashmir Analysis

The historic Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are around the corner.  These are first major elections after abrogation of article 370 on August 5, 2019. These elections are going to be quite unique ,interesting and historic.

All major political parties are fighting with full might. Iltija Mufti, Daughter of PDP head and former CM Mehbooba Mufti , Former NC MP Hasnain Masoodi and Dr Harbaksh Singh of AIP are prominent candidates in Kashmir in fray for the first phase.

political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone significant changes since the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP-led government in 2018. The removal of Article 370 in 2019, followed by the delimitation, has not only redrawn boundaries and added seats but also set the stage for the upcoming 2024 election, where every party is recalibrating its strategy.

Of the total 219 candidates contesting the first phase of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, scheduled for September 18, a striking 50 per cent have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, a report compiled by the Association of Democratic Reform (ADR) said on Friday.

The average assets of the phase one candidates stood at Rs 3 crore. There are a total 13 candidates with at least Rs 10 crore worth of assets.

Out of 219 candidates, only nine are women, which makes up just 4 percent of the total.

Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the highest crorepatis: 18 out of 21. The richest candidate in the first phase also belongs to PDP: Abdul Gaffar Sofi, contesting from Anantnag West. In his election affidavit, Sofi declared assets worth over Rs 66 crore. He is followed by PDP’s Imtiaz Ahmed Shan with more than Rs 34 crore in assets.

2014, the election ended with a hung assembly. The PDP won 28 seats, the BJP grabbed 25, the JKNC took 15, and the Congress managed 12. Independents and smaller parties shared seven seats. The BJP and the PDP claimed nearly half the votes, but the close result reflected deep political divisions. The vote share of 2014 told a similar story of division. The BJP garnered 23 per cent of the votes, while the PDP secured 22.7 per cent. The JKNC came in with 20.8 per cent, and the Congress followed with 18 per cent.

Undoubtedly , the Assembly elections in 2024 September are going to go one of the historic epochs.

Tobacco Monster in J&K

News Kashmir Analysis

Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus Nicotiana of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chief commercial crop is N. tabacum. The more potent variant N. rustica is also used in some countries.

The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing over 8 million people a year around the world. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.3 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke (4).

All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.

As a matter of fact,

Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has been identified as having the 6th highest prevalence of tobacco use in the country, with over 20 percent of the population engaging in tobacco consumption, according to officials.

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke (4).

Around 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.

In 2020, 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco: 36.7% of men and 7.8% of women.

To address the tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Currently 182 countries are Parties to this treaty.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2 data, 35.2% of men, 5.1% of women, and 20.8% of all adults in J&K smoke tobacco. It adds that 6.8% of men, 1.5% of women, and 4.3% of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco. Overall, 39.7% of men, 6.2% of women, and 23.7% of all adults either smoke tobacco or use smokeless tobacco.

Tobacco is definitely a monster which we need to do away with .

The expert pulse is that we need to aware the youth about perils of Tobacco menace and make them shun it. One hopes in the great country like India we need to reach a stage where we ban all products of Tobacco . Tobacco is a hydra headed monster and there is no doubt about same .