SRINAGAR: Officials have reported that a woman is feared to have died after falling from a bridge in the Ramsoo area of the Ramban district this afternoon.
According to sources, the woman was washed away by a strong water current after falling off the Shangan bridge at Nachliana Ramsoo.
Following the incident, a joint rescue operation was launched by the police and local authorities in the area.
Confirming the incident, a police official said that they are currently ascertaining the facts regarding the incident. (GNS)
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Thursday granted bail to the three security guards who were deployed on the suspension bridge in Morbi town when it collapsed on October 30 last year claiming more than a hundred lives.
While granting relief to them, Justice Samir Dave took into account their lawyer’s submission that they were merely doing their job and played no role in the decision-making process that led to the tragedy.
As many as 135 persons were killed and 56 grievously injured when the British-era bridge, maintained and operated by Oreva Group, collapsed days after it had been reopened following repairs.
After a short hearing, the HC granted bail to Alpesh Gohil (25), Dilip Gohil (33) and Mukesh Chauhan (26), all residents of Tunki Vaju village in Garbada taluka of Dahod district.
They were among the ten accused arrested by police in the case. It was alleged that besides faulty repairing, failure to manage the footfall on the bridge led to its collapse.
The accused trio’s lawyer Ekant Ahuja said they had actually been hired as labourers by Oreva Group, but were deployed as security guards on the bridge on the fateful day as it was their weekly off.
Public prosecutor Mitesh Amin did not oppose the bail pleas, stating that the “principal liability lies on the owners of Oreva Group and persons who performed the fabrication job (on the bridge)”.
Justice Dave said he was allowing the bail pleas as the applicants were security personnel hired by the company.
Those who are still behind bars include Jaysukh Patel, managing director of the Oreva Group; managers of the firm Dipak Parekh and Dinesh Dave; ticket-booking clerks Mansukh Topiya and Mahadev Solanki, and sub-contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar who had been hired by Oreva Group for repair works on the bridge.
Morbi police had in January filed a charge sheet in the case.
All ten accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) besides other offences.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has a huge mental health burden according to mental health experts. The authorities have tried to address and reduce the mental health treatment gap by increasing the number of trained mental health professionals and exploring the potential of telepsychiatry, a new study reveals.
This is the core team that literally rebuilt the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital Srinagar which is now known as IMHANS.
The paper titled Reducing the mental health treatment gap in Kashmir: scaling up to maximise the potential of telepsychiatry published in the latest issue of The Lancet, authored by Arshad Hussain and others suggests scaling up telepsychiatry especially in Jammu and Kashmir to fill the gap.
To tackle mental health morbidity, the study suggests scaling up telepsychiatry.
“It is especially relevant in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir that have faced political conflict and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and including impacts from the ongoing Covid19 pandemic,” the study reveals.
A professor and psychiatrist at IMHANS, Hussain writes in the paper that policymakers have also initiated the Tele MANAS centre in Kashmir, where mental health needs are being prioritised by introducing more professionals who can provide services in local Kashmiri and Urdu languages.
The other co-authors of the April 26, 2023 research include Bhupinder Kumar, Manasi Kumar, and Fazle Roub.
Dr Arshad Hussain (Psychiatry)
A nationwide initiative, the provision of free round-the-clock telepsychiatry services via Tele-Mental Health Assistance and Nationally Actionable Plan through States (Tele-MANAS) and a mobile app called MANAS Mitra, has been successful.
“Since its launch on 4th November 2022, the centre has received 4000 calls as people with mental illness from every district of the Union Territory are seeking professional help,” the paper reveals.
According to the study, these numbers convey the enormous demand and needs but also show that TELE Manas is acceptable to people and they are initiating contact with mental health providers.
“Every Tele MANAS centre would have the facility of trained psychiatrists and counsellors who would refer the patients in acute psychological distress to locally available Government runs mental health centres in case the need arises so,” according to the study.
“The current step is expected to ensure cost-and-time-effective and comprehensive services for the poorly served population of the region, strengthening mental health, an area that has been historically neglected in Jammu and Kashmir,” according to the study.
Mental health across the country remains a major concern because of myriad of challenges such as poor awareness of mental illness, stigma, high treatment gap and shortage of mental health professionals to manage widely prevalent mental illnesses.
The National Mental Health Survey of India reported that the point prevalence of any mental illness was 10.6 per cent while 5.1 per cent of the adult population was estimated to have some level of suicidality.
“Between 2012 and 2030, mental illnesses would cost India 1.03 trillion US dollars. The scenario is complicated by a very high treatment gap of 83 per cent along with only 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, even though the WHO desires at least three psychiatrists per 100,000 population,” the study predicts.
Similar efforts are made by WHO special initiative for mental health (2019–2023) which is targeting Bangladesh, Jordan, Paraguay, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe, the study reveals.
On the flip side, the paper’s lead author, a senior psychiatrist, has celebrated the publication of his paper in the prestigious Lancet. Though more than 100 of his papers have been published on different aspects of the mess he and his team have been tackling, this is the first that Lancet published.
“When I joined Psychiatry Lancet seemed stones through, I was on the path to full fill my dream, I got a Fogarty Fellowship at St Louis Washington Med School, Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology Fellowship and many travel Bursaries based on my research ideas, but destiny had other plans,” Arshad wrote on his Facebook. “I was challenged with changing the face of psychiatry in Kashmir with my colleagues and teachers we turned a burnt asylum into the Institute of Mental Health from the smallest department in GMC to one of the largest departments, it took some doing and always makes me feel accomplished, credit for this goes to every psychiatrist who worked there with zeal and enthusiasm.”
He added: “I did publish 100 odd papers but that never gave me a thrill because I never saw my name in Lancet. But today it happened even though nothing great, but the child within me is excited.”
Jammu, Apr 29: The work on the country’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir has been completed, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The completion of the bridge drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is keenly monitoring the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which will provide rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.
“In 11 months, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge (Anji Khad) is ready…,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted on Friday, sharing a video of the completed bridge. The total length of the cable strand used in the bridge is 653 km.
Reacting to Vaishnaw’s tweet, the prime minister wrote “excellent”.
The completion of Anji Khad bridge, having a single pylon with a height of 331 metres above the river bed on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), is yet another major breakthrough achieved by the Indian Railways, which is expecting to complete the Rs 37,000 crore project by the end of this year.
Minister of State for Railways Darshana Vikram Jardosh, who recently inspected the USBRL project by visiting various key locations including Anji Khad bridge and the nearby iconic Chenab bridge, termed the completion of the country’s first cable-stayed bridge as “another milestone” despite difficult geographic conditions.
“I visited the bridge site and congratulated everyone for successfully installing all 96 cables of the bridge in a record time of 11 months. This asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge crosses the deep gorges of Anji river, a tributary of river Chenab,” she said.
Jardosh said the bridge connects tunnel T2 on the Katra side and Tunnel T3 on the Reasi side.
“It has been the PM’s vision to make Indian railways the best in the world. Overcoming geographic and climatic challenges, our engineers and railway officials have conquered the invincible,” the minister said.
Described as a “true engineering marvel”, the bridge has 48 cables each on lateral and central spans with work on its pylon started in 2017, officials said, adding the pylon is standing 191 metre from its foundation level.
They said It is the second highest railway bridge after the iconic arch bridge over Chenab at Kauri, which is the highest railway bridge in the world being 359 metres above the river bed level — 35 metres higher than the iconic Eiffel tower in Paris.
Anji Khad bridge has a total length of 473.25 metres, while the length of the viaduct is 120 metres. The central embankment has a length of 94.25 meters, the officials said.
They said the bridge has been designed to handle heavy storms of strong winds and even explosions.
In October 2016, the Railways decided to build a cable-stayed bridge at Anji Khad after the plan to build an arch bridge similar to Chenab bridge was abandoned due to vulnerability of the structure, primarily due to concerns over geological stability of the region.
The Railway Ministry sanctioned the construction of the railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla via Srinagar in phases — 25-km Udhampur to Katra in 1994, 118-km Qazigund to Baramulla and 129-km Katra to Qazigund in 1999.
In view of the importance of the USBRL in providing seamless and hassle-free connectivity to Kashmir, the 272-km-long rail link was declared as a “National Project” in 2002.
Out of the total 272-km USBRL project, 161-km was commissioned in phases with first phase 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013 and 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014. The work on 111-km Katra-Banihal stretch is going on.–(PTI)
SRINAGAR: The authorities on Thursday halted traffic movement on a bridge in Langate area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district after surface under it started caving in due to flashfloods.
Quoting an official, KNS reported that surface under bridge over Mawer Nallah started caving in due flashfloods following heavy rainfall in the area.
He said as a precautionary measure, traffic movement has been halted on the bridge.
The bridge is locally known as “Daand Kadal” and was a key link connecting several villages.
Meanwhile, authorities have urged locals to exercise caution and avoid crossing the Nallah until alternative arrangements can be made. Officials have rushed to the spot to assess the situation.
Handwara, Apr 20: The intermittent rainfall for the past few days has caused damage to the vital bridge in Lagate area of Handwara, prompting authorities to restrict the public movement as a precautionary measure.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Daand Kadal – a bridge over nallah Mawer that connects more than 20 villages has been closed for the public movement as the bridge has developed a partial damage due to intermittent rainfall and increase in the water level of the nallah.
“Though the extent of damages to the bridge is being assessed, however, people are being requested to refrain from crossing the bridge over the nallah,” officials said.
Meanwhile, locals alleged that the concerned department didn’t pay heed to the worse ning condition of the bridge for the last four years.
Despite repeated attempts, Tehsildar Langate couldn’t be contacted for the comments as he didn’t receive the phone calls—(KNO)
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have proposed to take up certain inspection works of the stay cable system of the Durgam Cheruvu cable bridge works as per the maintenance manual of the cable-stayed bridge.
Accordingly, GHMC has requested the closure of the bridge to traffic for a period of three days. The closure is required as they need to place 100-tonne cranes over the bridge near pylons P1 and P2 for taking up the inspection work as the cranes will occupy the carriageway.
In order to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, the Cyberabad traffic police have made the following traffic diversions round the clock starting from midnight of April 6 to 6 am on April 10.
Traffic coming from Road No 45 towards Gachibowli via cable bridge will be diverted at Dr Ambedkar open university on road no 45 – right turn – towards Madhapur L&O PS – left turn – COD junction – Cyber towers – Left turn – Lemon tree Junction – IKEA Rotary.
Traffic coming from Road No 45 via cable bridge towards Gachibowli will be diverted at Dr Ambedkar open university on road no.45 – right turn – Left turn before D-mart – Vasanth Embrald Gardens – Left Turn – HMWSSB – Right turn – Nectar Garden road – Sampradaya Left turn – Nectar Garden Colony – Right turn – Nectar Garden Junction – Left Turn – Durgam Cheruvu – I labs U-turn – ITC Kohinoor – My Home Abbra Junction – C Gate Junction – Ikea Rotary – Left Turn – Bio diversity Junction
Traffic coming from IKEA Rotary towards Jubilee Hills via cable bridge will be diverted at In-orbit mall – left turn – I-Labs – Durgam Cheruvu – COD Junction – Right turn – Ayappa Society – Madhapur L&O PS – Kavuri Hills Junction – Jubilee Hills
Traffic coming from IKEA Rotary towards Jubilee Hills via cable bridge will be diverted at In-orbit mall – left turn – I-Labs – Durgam Cheruvu – Nector Garden Junction – Right turn – Doctors Colony – Right turn – D –Mart – U-turn – towards Road No – 45 – Jubilee Hills.
Hence, all the concerned stakeholders and commuters are requested to follow the above advisory and cooperate with traffic police in ensuring the smooth flow of traffic.
Hyderabad: IIT-Hyderabad in collaboration with Simpliforge Creations has developed India’s prototype bridge using indigenous 3D printing technology.
3D printing is a process used to create three-dimensional physical objects with a computer-created design, by adding several successive thin layers of material.
Developed and evaluated by Professor KVL Subramaniam and his research group, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, the prototype bridge is currently undergoing load testing and evaluation for functional use.
IIT Hyderabad has designed the bridge following the concept of ‘Material follows Force’.
Simpliforge Creations developed an extrusion and software system specifically for the project to fully exhibit the merits of its 3D printing system.
Using the industrial robotic arm 3D printers, the bridge was printed off-site in little under two hours at the Simpliforge Printing facility and assembled on-site at Charvitha Meadows, Siddipet.
Remarking on the invention, Prof Subramaniam said, “3D concrete printing is an emerging technology that has the potential for transforming the construction industry with the promise of rapid, efficient, and free-form construction.”
Managing director of Simpliforge Creations, Hari Krishna Jeedipalli described the bridge as a testament to the capabilities of 3D construction printing technology and its potential applications in infrastructural requirements, defence, and disaster scenarios owing to its speed and ease.
Poonch, April 01: A girl died while two others were rescued and hospitalised after they jumped in a river in Poonch district last evening, police said on Saturday.
An official told the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that three cousin sisters jumped in the river near Sher-i-Kashmir bridge in Poonch yesterday evening.
He said soon after the incident a rescue operation was launched and all three girls were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital.
However, one of the girls was declared was dead one arrival, while two are undergoing treatment.
Deceased has been identified as Asia Kouser (18) daughter of Mohd Kabir. The other two have been identified as Amreen Kousar (25) daughter of Mohd Bashir and Sonia Kouser (18) daughter of Mohammad Arif.
Meanwhile, police have taken cognisance of the incident.
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