News Kashmir Magazine

Peshawar which recently witnessed a horrific terrorist attack on an Army Public School which killed 131 children is still somber and sadness defines the life of this Pakistani City Known as Flower City. But the will to fight back is there and the signs of all this became clear last Monday when in a big step towards  Limping  normalcy, the army-run Peshawar school which was ravaged by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan nearly three weeks ago resumed its classes with even injured students thronging to schools .

Pertinently, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif personally received the students and met the parents at the school. He also attended a commemorative service held at the school and sung the national anthem in honour of those who lost their lives during the terror attack. The attack on December 16 had claimed 148 lives, including 132 school children.

In another heartening development,  Meanwhile, the structure of the school has been renovated while the cleansing work has also been completed. Vacations in all educational institutions across the country were extended due to security reasons. After enhancement of security measures these educational institutions resumed classes on last Monday.

People of brutalized Peshawar City are showing the will power to fight the carnage of inhuman elements. As the legendary personality of late Nelson Mandela had beautifully stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”More powerful than the terror inflicted by gunshots. More powerful than the fear and darkness which overcame Peshawar on this dark moment in history when it last 131 young children and 15 brave teachers but the city seems to be remembering the importance of education very well.

One hopes that resilience shown by Peshawar will transform the country of Pakistan into a positive country full of peace and prosperity.

 

As the winters dawn in Kashmir we have always witnessed long spells of load shedding hitting the Valley of Kashmir impacting the daily  chorus of masses and adversely effecting the industrial, business progress and study schedule of students. Long hours without electricity not only haunt masses but life without electricity is full of depression. The menace of electricity has plagued the majority of areas of Kashmir since very long and every government that has come in power has had no effective answers or policy mechanisms to deal with this problem. One effective answer to the electricity problem could be to tap the enormous hydro-electricity potential of Jammu & Kashmir especially Kashmir Valley  and utilize this potential in right direction.

All throughout the history, the hydroelectricity potential of our state Jammu& Kashmir  especially the water rich Kashmir Valley is a well known fact. Power Development in Jammu and Kashmir has a long and illustrious history. 9MW Mohra Hydro-electric Plant, among the first of its kind in the subcontinent, was developed as early as 1905. The estimated hydel potential is about 20,000 MW.

The Jammu& Kashmir State Power Development Corporation presently has 20 hydroelectric projects with installed capacity of 758.70MW located in various districts of Jammu & Kashmir including 450MW BHEP. .

We have a very huge hydroelectricity potential which if properly tapped can end the problem of power cuts in Kashmir .Although,  there is a difference of opinion on the total hydroelectric power potential of the J&K State with JKSPDC putting it at about 20,000 Mw’s. But on the other hand independent assessment has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir’s hydropower potential is 25,000 megawatts, much higher than the state government’s estimated figure of 16000 to 20,000 megawatts. But from all estimates the hydroelectricity potential of Kashmir is huge.

To ensure continuous electricity supply we should also cut down transmission- distribution losses. Pertinently, the power sector faces in the state is the transmission and distribution losses which are more than 63 per cent of the total electricity generation of the state. According to a  report released few years back , the transmission and distribution losses are about 50 per cent, while the rest 13 per cent are collection losses, making it an aggregate of 63 per cent. Another disturbing factor revealed by the survey is that the state with such a huge hydropower potential had to purchase 90 per cent of the total electricity consumed in the state in 2006-07 from central power agencies.

In addition to tapping the hydroelectricity potential of Jammu & Kashmir Curbing of the  theft of electricity, ensuring the efficient metering system could go long way in solving the grave issue of power crisis in Kashmir.

With the elections round the corner and very few months left before a new state government can take over the reins of power in Jammu & Kashmir the masses are pinning the hopes that the new State Government after assuming the office should tackle the issue of electricity failure in Kashmir especially during winters.

 

 

 

 

It is well known fact that a strong  Civil Society plays a dynamic  role in informing  and adding new lease of charm  and new lease of life to a modern society and is considered among the most needed institutions in a civilized society especially when a society is faced with adverse scenarios .Undoubtedly, Non Governmental Organizations also commonly known as NGOs play pivotal  role in forming a vibrant and active civil society in any part of the planet earth.

 

Importantly the recent devastating floods in Kashmir have reinforced the role of having an effective and vibrant Civil Society. Society Experts have time and again started that Post-conflict situations call for effective efforts from Civil Society to come out of traumatic experiences .  The importance of efforts to rebuild civil society by the constructive role of NGOS and establishment of the rule of law, tackling natural disasters, stimulation of political dialogue and public participation, which is essentially made possible by a vibrant civil society  must not be under-estimated, as they provide both formal and informal institutions for reconstruction in post-conflict situations. Therefore, efforts to strengthen civil society is a necessity that can be facilitated by NGOs, both local and otherwise, in a number of ways – by assisting local communities and individuals in the design of programmes, providing capacity building services, access to financing, and establishment of legal entities like cooperatives.

But on ground zero the Civil Society component of Kashmir offers a mixed picture. Pragmatically on ground the desired coordination between civil society was lacking if we take the recent floods as example but on the otherhand we also some vibrant NGOs rendering valuable efforts in rescue, relief and rehabilitation which has helped in easing the sufferings of masses. With more positive approaches applied the Civil Society in Kashmir can do wonders in changing the overall  situation towards betterment.