SRINAGAR: The authorities on Friday suspended mobile internet services in Rajouri following a fierce encounter between militants and the security forces in the Kandi Forest area of the district.
Quoting officials, KNO reported that mobile internet services have been suspended as a precautionary measure in the area.
Earlier, in the early morning hours, an encounter broke out in Kandi Forest area of Rajouri between militants and counter-insurgent forces.
Meanwhile, Army in a statement said that two soldiers were killed, while an officer among four were injured after militants triggered an explosive during the ongoing encounter.
SRINAGAR: Two army personnel have been killed and four others injured after a group of militants triggered an explosive during an ongoing encounter in Kesari area of Kandi hamlet in Rajouri district.
The statement reads, “On specific information about the presence of militants in the Kandi Forest in Rajauri Sector, a joint operation was launched on May 3 2023. At about 7: 30 am on May 5 2023, a search team established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. The area is thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs.”
“They triggered an explosive device in retaliation. The Army team has suffered two fatal casualties with injuries to four more soldiers including an officer”, reads the statement.
Additional teams from the vicinity have been directed to the site of the encounter. The injured personnel have been evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur.
“As per initial reports, a group of militants are trapped in the area. There is a likelihood of casualties in the militant group”, it reads.
“Indian Army columns have been conducting relentless intelligence-based operations to flush out a group of terrorists involved in ambush on an army truck in Tota Gali area of Bhata Dhurian in Jammu region”, reads a statement.
“The operation is in progress”, reads the statement adding further details are being ascertained. (GNS)
SRINAGAR: Sara Ali Khan, the popular Bollywood actress, recently embarked on a trip to the highlands of Kashmir with her mother, Amrita Singh, after wrapping up shooting for her upcoming film, Ae Watan Mere Watan. The actress shared several photos from her journey on Instagram, where she was also accompanied by her friends.
Sara Ali Khan with her family and friends in Kashmir in May 2023
In the first shot, Sara donned a saffron jumper and a woolly hat, posing for a selfie with the night sky and the moon in the backdrop while pouting. The next photo showed her sitting outside in comfortable clothing, closing her eyes and leaning on her companion, who stood behind her.
The following shot showed Sara dressed differently, hugging her pal. In the last photo, Sara, her friends, and Amrita Singh sat around an indoor fireplace. Sara, donning a saffron jumper and beige trousers, gazed at the fire with her hands close to it, while Amrita, dressed in all black, sat behind her daughter.
Sara spent her time in the pool with one of her pals, writer Jehan Handa. Both of them were engaged in a conversation in the candid photograph. The star also shared a solo photo of her in the pool. Sara sat in a garden, enjoying the sun, wearing a shawl over her olive-colored jumper and grey trousers in one of the photos. The actress also wore a woolly hat while posing with her face up and her eyes closed.
Sara and her pals stood for the camera outside in the dusk in the last photo. As she smiled for the camera, she was dressed in a white jacket, beige trousers, a woollen cap and shoes. “Hello Full Moon Phase, Snow clad Mountains with Sunny Rays, Sitting by the Fire enjoying the Flame, the Haze,” Sara captioned the image. The nights are pleasant, and the days are sun-kissed, so it’s time to hear what Sara says.” She also mentioned Purnima and the full moon.
Sara posted one of the photos with her pals on Instagram Stories and tagged her. She labelled the site Jannat-e-Kashmir. Sara also used the background music from her debut film Kedarnath, Qaafirana. The original song was included in the 2018 film Sara with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Sara Ali Khan seemed to have fallen in love with Kashmir ever since she found it. She is a frequent traveller to Kashmir; she was here in 2021 and 2022 also for different projects. Her love for Kashmir can be seen through her Instagram posts.
Sara Khan explains the mesmerising beauty she has fallen in love with through her frequent visits to Kashmir. As a result, she is gradually emerging as a brand spokesperson for Kashmir with no additional expense.
SRINAGAR: District Administration Reasi on Thursday demolished the house of a former government employee, who allegedly was involved in twin blast cases.
As per media reports, the house of terror accused Mohammad Auraf Sheikh, son of Ghulam Ud-Din Sheikh of Baransal Gulabgarh, Tehsil Mahore, was constructed illegally on state land.
The accused, a former Government teacher, was terminated from his services when his involvement in two blasts was established by the police.
The house built on State land under Khasra No. 602/457/1 at village Baransal Tehsil Mahore was demolished under the supervision of district police and in the presence of witnesses and locals of the area. The demolition drive started at 1:pm and was carried out till 10:pm in the evening.
Pertinent to mention that the terror accused was found involved in blast cases on bus at Kadmal near Katra and at Narwal, Jammu. In this regard case FIR No. 141 /2022 P/S Katra u/s 13/16/18/20/23 UAPA, 302/307 IPC and 3/5 Explosive Substance Act stands registered at Katra, Reasi and another Case FIR No. 38/2023 P/S Bahu Fort U/S 307 IPC, 3/4/5 E.S. Act & 16/18 UAPA stands registered at Jammu.
SRINAGAR: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has announced the renaming of Asraria Chenab House at Channi Himmat in Jammu as Askini House. The DDC had requested a change in the scope of the project to better suit its current utility and directed the Executive Engineer of the JDA to revisit and rename the DPR with Askini House.
Accordingly, the Executive Engineer of the PWD (R&B) Special Sub Division Doda, in a letter No. 1164-67 dated April 26, 2033, has requested the JDA Division No. 01 to revisit and rename the DPR with Askini House for the construction of a dormitory for students belonging to District Doda at the same place. The Executive Engineer has also been instructed to ensure that the foundation stone for Askini House is laid by May 10, 2033, as desired by the DDC of Doda.
SRINAGAR: On Thursday, the army destroyed around half a dozen explosive landmines on the Line of Control which were originally their own landmines but had drifted, posing a risk to the lives of army personnel.
Official sources stated that six anti-personnel landmines were detected by army troops who were patrolling the area and were part of their own minefield but had drifted near the troops.
They added that a special team of the Indian Army’s bomb disposal squad destroyed the six mines through a controlled mechanism.
The shells were destroyed in the forward area of the Balakote sector on the Line of Control. (KNO)
SRINAGAR: Amid forecasts for mainly clear weather with a chance of a brief spell of rain and thunderstorms in the evening, night temperatures continued to remain below normal in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
A meteorological department official stated that rain was expected at many places from May 6-8, and from May 9-12, the weather was expected to be mainly dry. The weather conditions were also favourable for spraying and harvesting, and farmers can take advantage of this on May 9-12.
Regarding temperature, Srinagar recorded a low of 9.6°C, which was 0.1°C below normal for the summer capital, compared to the previous night when it was 10.3°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of 7.8°C, which was below normal by 0.7°C for the gateway town of Kashmir, compared to 7.2°C on the previous night.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 3.6°C, which was 1.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, compared to 2.0°C on the previous night.
Kokernag recorded a low of 7.0°C, which was 1.4°C below normal for the place, compared to 6.7°C on the previous night.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 2.2°C, which was 2.1°C below normal for the world-famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, compared to 3.8°C on the previous night.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at 7.4°C, which was 1.0°C below normal for the north Kashmir area, compared to 9.6°C on the previous night.
Jammu recorded a low of 17.3°C, which was 5.3°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, compared to 17.6°C on the previous night.
Banihal recorded a low of 7.7°C, which was below normal by 2.4°C; Batote 9.7°C, which was 2.8°C below normal; Katra 15.1°C, which was 4.1°C below normal, and Bhaderwah 8.0°C, which was below normal by 1.2°C.
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 0.2°C and 5.4°C, respectively, the official added. (GNS)
As otherwise abundant bird species get rare in the cities, experts hold electromagnetic radiation responsible for the mess. The faster communication technologies will add to the stress of the birds and impact an ecological balance, reports Umaima Reshi
Migratory Birds Flying-high-in Hokersar Wetland
With the 5G already becoming popular, the debate about its possible impact on different life forms is back to the table talk. There are reports that bird populations are getting impacted by the radiations emitted by the base tower stations (BTS), a key infrastructure for all kinds of mobile telephony.
BTS is vital in communication. It is an electromagnetic device with pernicious radiation. It is a fixed transceiver in all mobile networks, which connects mobile devices to the network. It sends and receives radio signals to mobile devices and converts them to digital signals. Besides, it passes on the network to route to other terminals in the network or to the internet. The quantum of radiation depends on the number of sensors installed on a BTS. Its power potency changes with distance.
The BTS Networks
Electromagnetic fields and radiations are usually pervasive. People already live with a variety of electromagnetic radiations that power the radio, television, and cell phones. Unlike all others, however, BTS are the major sources of electromagnetic field and radiation in any environment. Cell phone technologies have densities mostly between 800MHz and 3GHz and BTS antennae have a frequency of 900 or 1800MHz, pulsed at low densities, generally known as microwaves (300MHz–300GHz). The use of cell phones has helped in the spread of BTS and it has converted most of the space into an electromagnetic field immensely.
BTS, the cell phone tower station.
Unlike all earlier BTS, the ones used for the 5G network are reportedly impacting the ecology more. The 5G network emanates high-density signals on the scale of 30 GHz to 300 GHz. This is being seen as the source-adverse impact on the surrounding. In an appeal to the European Union, 180 scientists and doctors from 36 countries warned that there are assuredly legitimate concerns regarding the 5G technology.
Birds Hit
In comparison to humans, birds have a considerable body-to-weight ratio, which is why they captivate more radiation. The liquid form, like blood, platelets, and plasma in the anatomy of a bird is subordinate, and so it turns feverish promptly. Magnetic exposure from the tower hinders the navigation skills of the birds. When birds are exposed to EMR; they get adrift and muddled and start to fly erratically. Besides, a copious number of birds succumb due to clashes with telecommunication masts, annually.
The diversity of bird species is said to be at risk due to various causes including strong electromagnetic fields. In Kashmir, many bird species like sparrows, pigeons, and swans are gradually disappearing from the cities and many people link it to the strong electromagnetic fields around.
According to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) report of 2016, specifically, 16764 BTS are installed at 8554 sites across Jammu and Kashmir. In Kashmirm there are 4000 Base transceiver stations (BTS), increasing with the number of users.
The Lolab Survey
Attempts were made to understand the repercussions of mobile tower radiation on birds at different sites and villages of Lolab Valley in Kupwara in 2019. It was jointly carried out by zoology scholars of Dr CV Raman University, Kota Bilaspur – Tawseef Ahmad Bhat, and Dr R K Singh.
In the course of the evaluation, a sum total of 17 groups of birds were listed at particular sites. The number of birds documented within a 200-meter radius of the mobile tower was comparably less than that embarked exterior to a 200-meter radius.
The survey suggested that the birds are afflicted more within this range as the expanse and reverberations of electromagnetic radiations effused by mobile towers are inversely correlated to the stretch from the tower as per ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection).
The birds that were found within as well as outside the radius of different sites were Common Myna, Rock Pigeon, Steppe Eagle, House Sparrow, Jungle Crow, and Eurasian Jackdaw. The distribution of birds outside the radius included Slatyheaded Parakeet, Grey Bushchat, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Turtle Dove, Himalayan Bulbul, Yellow-billed Magpie, Himalayan Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Spotted Forktail, and Phimbeous.
Radiations from cellular towers cause exasperation among the birds; making them depart to other areas where the impact of radiation is low, which layouts a signal for their disappearance from towns. The survey concluded that birds are highly affected by electromagnetic radiation. “Behaviour of birds may be changed when exposed to such radiations. They may lose the power of orientation, natural navigation and fly in any direction,” it said.
A flock of birds on a low-tension power distribution line. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
“The electromagnetic radiation grimly affects the generative achievement of birds due to which the conceiving success is reduced. Contemporary scientific testaments reveal that protracted vulnerability to electromagnetic radiation can also strike immune system activity. Magnetic fields can impact the advancement and occurrence of deformities in the fertilization of embryos and at the same time, an agitated immune system also escalates the proneness of birds to ill effects and diseases,” one of the avian fauna veterinarians said. “Feather loss is the very first ailment of deteriorating health in birds. There are many other symptoms and susceptibility to radiation because the exposure depends upon genetics and the physical condition of the impacted creatures.”
10 Species
The depletion of ten species of avian fauna, commonly found in the city was recorded. The situation was quite the same in the consolidated areas of the territory. Now they are nowhere to be seen. The vanishing of house sparrows and crows has been majorly reported. The cause behind that is microwaves (300 MHz to 300 GHz) emitted by cell phone towers and handsets, are damaging eggs and embryos of sparrows.
Though the Telecommunication industry has introduced protective guidance for human beings vulnerable to wireless radiation; there is no analogous protective clue for living organisms.
SRINAGAR: A gunfight broke out between militants and counter-insurgent forces in Kesari area of Kandi hamlet in Rajouri district on Friday.
An official said that a joint team of Police, army’ and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint teams of forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
A senior police officer also confirmed the exchange of fire between forces and militants.
As per the sources, two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area-( KS)
