SRINAGAR: The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom has submitted the dossier for registration of Kashmir Tweed to Intellectual Property India, Chennai, an apex-level organization for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
The Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, (H&H) Kashmir, while commenting on the downswing of the centuries old craft of Weaving of Tweed said that the GI certification of Kashmir Tweed, will give a fresh impetus to the craft. The primary goal of registering it is to seek protection for Tweed of Kashmir, which further promotes and pushes it to grow on a global scale.
“The department felt it necessary to get Kashmir Tweed recognized on National and International markets owing to its uniqueness of having 100 per cent wool unlike the one produced in the rest of the country where it has also the blend of viscose, said Director H&H adding that Tweed cloth is available across the globe, in Kashmir, it has been in the market for centuries.
Initially produced in parts of south Kashmir, mostly in the Pulwama district, a number of areas in Kashmir periphery adopted this art to manage the requirements of the UT. Tweed is being produced in parts of north and central Kashmir like Bandipore and Budgam as well. “There is not much difference between the famous Harris Tweed and the Kashmir Tweed, however Kashmir Tweed could not have much presence in the global markets because of processing deficiencies and branding”, said Director H&H. By registering Kashmir Tweed for GI it is expected that all the stakeholders involved shall get benefitted, he added.
UT of J&K already has two major facilities for processing of the wool, one at UNDP under the ambit of Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir and another facility at JKI which has been at fore front in ensuring a sustained supply of raw material as well as manufacturing of Tweed in the valley.
The Handicrafts and Handloom Department has been facilitating the promotion of GI-tagged products symbolizing the empowerment of the artisans. These initiatives are aimed to help recognize and promote age-old crafts and methods that are otherwise in danger of being lost due to urbanization and industrialization.
So far seven major crafts from Kashmir namely Kani Shawl, Pashmina, Sozni, Paper-Machie, Walnut Wood Carving, Khatamband, and Hand Knotted Carpets have already been GI certified. Besides, the process of GI registration of seven more crafts viz., Kashmir Namda, Wagguv, Shikara, Gabba, Kashmir Willow Bat, Crewel and Chain Stitch is already under process and the dossier for GI certification of all these crafts has been submitted with the GI authorities in Chennai.
The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom from last 2 years has been continuously upgrading the testing and labelling facilities for GI certification of different crafts and because of the aggressive promotion of GI certification of different crafts by the Department, a huge number of manufacturers and exporters are approaching the department for testing and labelling of the GI certified products.
The Department is also in process of launching the QR-Code-based GI labelling of 6 crafts as QR-Code-GI labelling for Carpets was already initiated, and additionally, non-GI crafts will also be brought under the ambit of QR code Labeling, said Director H&H.
Moreover, the visitors have also shown much interest in purchasing exclusive GI-certified crafts post these efforts of promoting Geographical Indication throughout the country and away.
JAMMU: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha gave its approval to Lieutenant Governor’s Rolling Cultural and Sports Trophies for government employees.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.
This initiative is part of the overall policy of Government to promote sporting activities, on one hand, and HR welfare policy of the Government, on the other hand. The sports events are expected to inculcate values like competition, discipline, teamwork and will lead to overall personality development of the employees. As part of the initiative, exclusive teams shall be formed for female employees to encourage them also. It will also act as an vent to the employees who work in taxing environment besides improving skills to tackle challenging jobs in hand.
Under the initiative, the Culture Department, in association with the General Administration Department, shall also organize cultural activities viz. debates, poetry, quiz and painting competitions etc. spanning across a calendar year to promote creativity among the employees, on the one hand, and local culture, on the other hand.
The AC approved the proposal of participation of employees in scores of sporting disciplines viz. cricket, football, volleyball, table tennis, hockey etc. which shall be organised in close association of the General Administration Department and the Youth Services and Sports Department (J&K Sports Council).
SRINAGAR: The recasting and re-modelling of British era Polo View market has led the 35-odd traders to book losses in 2022. The project is part of the Smart City Srinagar project.
The exquisite flower shops, magnificent shawl outlets, the shops donning papier machie items, restaurants, and many other stores are all bearing the brunt of the market’s redevelopment, which is going on to turn the roadway into a concrete sitting space.
Earlier, the market had its own parking space to provide a hassle-free experience to commuters and visitors.
As per the Smart City Mission, the market would be decorated by installing benches on the stretch, which has been made a no-vehicle zone. The market would come up as a model for the redevelopment of other such markets in the city. The government has already spent Rs 5 crore.
The traders are unsure if the market’s mighty Chinars would survive.
Chinar Development Officer, Tariq ul Habib, said the laid guidelines suggest that no construction work can undertaken at a place nearby a Chinar.
“There has to be a 40 feet demarcation at a place beholding Chinar where construction work has to be taken up,” he said.
A shop owner said, “Customers are unable to park their cars. They have to park their cars somewhere else and walk to shop here which creates a problem for them. It is causing loss to our business.”
A parking space on one side of the market’s shops has now been turned into a road. Earlier, the shoppers as well as the owners used to park their vehicles in that space to access the market.
With the parking gone, the footfall to the market has significantly nosedived. The lack of parking space is adding to the mess. If the customers park cars nearby, they attract fines.
Mohammad Amin, a shop owner at Polo-View Lane said, “Since the Smart City initiative began, we have undergone significant losses. We have met with the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Srinagar and other relevant authorities multiple times during the past year.”
The deadline for completion of the Polo-View market is the end of February 2023.
Chief Engineer Smart City Mission Iftikhar Kakroo said that they area aware of the issues the traders have flagged. “The traffic that was passing through the Polo View is now diverted from a new road behind the same market,” he said. “Power distribution lines that were over ground have gone underground.”
In terms of reports of the slow speed of work, Kakroo said that the endeavour is at its finishing phase, as the path tiles are being laid. “For this venture, we were able to arrange for the activity to be done without hindering traffic movement,” he said, noting that the work will be concluded by the end of February.
Kakroo asserted that the store owners are supporting us and to their advantage each advancement is being monitored vigilantly in order to forestall any complications.
Regarding the parking conditions, he declared that a detailed parking plan is established throughout the region. “Chosen spots have been pinpointed to circumvent the parking dilemma for the retailers,” he continued, affirming that in the past the path was utilised there for parking objectives.
SRINAGAR: School Education Department Kashmir has terminated a teacher who had managed to get entry into the department 13 years ago by producing fake posting and appointment orders.
According to an order, a copy of which lies with the news agency KNO chief education officer Srinagar in a letter in November 2022 has reported that the service book of a ‘imposter’ working as teacher in government school reveal an entry to the effect that he has been appointed as teacher in 2009 under RBA category, after being selected by the JK Service Selection Board.”
“In order to ascertain the genuineness of his appointment order, the original order issued by DSEK on December-12-2009 appointment Service Selection Board were verified and it has been and found that his name does not figure anywhere in the original appointment order nor original select list of JKSSB,” the order reads.
It reads the delinquent ‘teacher’ was placed under suspension and attached to DSEK and he had failed to report to the directorate, in compliance with the ibid order.
It reads the matter got enquired by the Joint Director (Central) who has conducted an in-depth enquiry and reported that the appointment order showing to have been issued in favour of some other two teachers and is fake and forged and the fraudster he has managed his entry in the department by producing fake appointment order.
“He therefore has deceived the authorities, while drawing illegal wages from the government exchequer.”
“The ‘delinquent teacher’ has responded to the show cause notice and submitted the reply January-10-2023 through speed post, which was thoroughly examined and found devoid of merit for reconsideration,” it reads.
It reads the appointment order purportedly issued in favour of the ‘fraudster’ being not issued by DSEK is treated to be null and void and non-est in the eyes of law.”
“Consequently, any benefit derived out of the said fake Order shall be immediately recovered and criminal proceedings shall be initiated against the said person,” it reads.
SRINAGAR: Congress leader and Member Parliament Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said that Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) has largely succeeded to fight against the narrative of hatred spread across the country and bring the folks together yet again.
“Let me tell you that we have been able to bring the people across the country together yet again through BJY. There were a lot of lessons for us in the Yatra and we have learnt a lot after meeting people of various shades during our journey,” news agency KNO quoted Rahul as having said.
He said that there is no scope for hatred in the country as Congress believes in spreading the message of love. “Our endeavour is to open the shops of love across J&K that has been made a scapegoat of politics,” Rahul said. “Through BJY we have largely been able to fight the disastrous narrative of hatred spread by the BJP in the country.”
He said that primary focus of Congress is to get Statehood and Assembly restored in J&K. Asked if BJY was apolitical, why he was continuously targeting BJP, Rahul said that since Congress is the grand old political party, there will surely be a bit of politics in his speeches during the Yatra. “When KPs, farmers and unemployed youth would meet me during the Yatra and hope that I will definitely rake up their issues, there would obviously be a problem for me if I don’t talk about them,” the Congress leader said. He said there was not even a tinge of hatred for anybody including PM Narendera Modi. “I am not afraid of anybody so why should I have hatred for anyone,” he asid.
He said J&K youth are suffering from depression and discomfort. “We are here to listen to them and understand their issue,” he said, adding that media too has been suppressed to an extent as if Yatra is not happening at all.
To a query about Lal Singh, Rahul said that Singh supported Yatra and Congress appreciates that. “As far as Ghulam Nabi Azad, 90 per cent of his supporters and party men were on our stage. I would like to tender my apology if we have hurt Azad or Lal Singh,” Rahul said. On there are reports that crores are being spent for his BJY, Rahul said that to tarnish his image, BJP and RSS spent thousands of crores and yet didn’t succeed. “I want to tell BJP that money can’t burry the truth which has a nasty habit of come out. BJP has started to understand this reality gradually,” he said. Pertinently, Rahul led BJY will enter Srinagar on January 30.
SRINAGAR: Police on Tuesday claimed to have rescued five youth Including Juveniles from joining militancy in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Quoting a police handout news agency GNS reported that unearthing a major activity of militants to misguide the youth and entice them to join militan ranks,Baramulla police along with army 29 RR has succeeded in rescuing 5 youths including 2 juveniles (identity protected) from joining militant ranks.
According to police spokesman, as per information received from reliable sources, it was learnt that some youngsters are being inticed by militant handlers from pakistan to join militant organizations. On receiving this input SFs first traced these youth and they were subjected to sustained questioning with the help of their parents. On their disclosure it was learnt that these youth were in touch with militant handlers in pakistan through social media to get recruited in militant outfits. Militant handlers were trying to radicalize the minds of these boys. These boys all in their teenage have now been handed over to parents after proper counselling.
JK Police and Indian Army are firm on their resolve to defeat all nefarious designs of enemy to misguide and radicalize the youth of Kashmir, he said.
Parents are requested to keep vigil on activities of their children and cooperate with Police, reads the statement.
SRINAGAR: Actor-politician Urmila Matondkar on Tuesday joined the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi is leading the foot march, which is now in its last phase.
“When stars join, the journey becomes brighter,” the grand old party tweeted in Hindi.
Ever since the party’s march started in September, many prominent faces – outside of the Congress – have been a part of the grand old party’s foot march. Actors, including Pooja Bhatt, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, veteran army officers have walked alongside Rahul Gandhi. In Delhi, Kamal Haasan joined the foot march last month.
Urmila Matondar also posted a video on social media that showed her walking with Gandhi. “Walk for Unity, Affinity, Equality and Fraternity (sic),” she tweeted.
Before the march, she posted a video message, where she can be heard saying: “In this winter chill, I am addressing you from Jammu. In a short while from now, I will be joining the Yatra. Indian unity is the spirit that has been carried along during this Yatra. All of us have created this India and we have to help it grow. For me, this Yatra is more for the society than politics. The world is functional with love, not hate,” she can be heard saying in the clip.
Throughout the Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra, Rahul Gandhi has been saying that his party aims to counter the hatred spread by the ruling party in an attack on the BJP and the RSS. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, however, on Sunday had said that “India is not broken that it needs Congress to unite it”.
On Monday, Rahul Gandhi met Kashmiri Pandits and also raised the issue of statehood during one of the addresses.
SRINAGAR: In last year’s Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services examination, the result of which was declared last week, a dozen students enrolled with the Initiative for Competition Promotion (ICP) cracked the coveted examination.
An ICP event in which the civil services aspirants are being made aware of the syllabus and methodology
The ICP, a registered trust, was home to 35 students for a year when they were being trained by a few bureaucrats who run the centre for free. The centre provides mentoring and coaching to civil services aspirants.
“I enrolled in the interview programme of ICP and it helped me to qualify for the exams. It is a good initiative in Kashmir as people lack guidance and environment which is available in Delhi and even in Jammu,” Saqib Rashid, a professional engineer, who secured 10th rank in the recent examination said. “The Institution provides hostel and library facilities for students from far-flung areas. These students get an environment to study which they lack at their homes.”
Besides, nearly two dozen other lateral candidates from different regions of the UT, who were trained for the interview programme through offline and online orientation classes, expert lectures and mock interviews, have also made it to the service.
Riyaz Ahmad Rather, who secured 104th rank in the JKAS exam recently said, “Honestly saying, I was groomed at ICP, I was a full-time resident from the last three years. They provide services at minimal charges; it has a suitable environment for doubt clearance. One gets admission to the resident programme only after qualifying entrance exam. Students qualifying mains exam are then admitted to the interview programme.”
ICP conducts screening test for free coaching program for Civil Services Exam-2020
Yasir Farooq, who secured 120th rank in the examination said, “I owe my selection to ICP. I appeared in KAS 2018 but failed to go through. ICP played the most important role in my selection. I enrolled in 2018 till I qualified. They provide accommodation, test series and guidance. The teachers treat us like their own children. I had an issue with answer writing but the teachers used to evaluate my answers which helped me a lot. I have also twice appeared in the mains examination of the Indian Administrative Services.”
This year a fair number of female candidates from the ICP made it to the final list of JKAS. Saima Ahad from Gandebal secured 26th rank; Rakshan Peerzada and Hafsa Mohidin placed 31st and 130th in rank respectively this year. Zarqa Naquib, who has secured 74th rank also took regular guidance from ICP.
Even though ICP doesn’t have a centre in Jammu, many aspirants from the Jammu division had also enrolled at the centre in Srinagar.
In 2022, nearly 30 outstation students from Jammu and Delhi also availed the benefit of ICP’s Interview Mentorship Programme, an initiative aimed at preparing for the crucial personality test stage of the examination.
Every year 35 aspirants from across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir enrol with the centre at Raj Bagh. The ICP trust has two small guest houses where all the services including lodging, teaching and library facilities are provided free of cost.
The aspirants are guided by the officers to help them to achieve their civil service dream. Besides the residential coaching programme, the academy also conducts classroom coaching, Test series and regular awareness campaigns about a career in the civil services are conducted at Centre.
Investigations into the twin attacks in Rajouri’s Upper Dangri village in which seven persons were killed have been taken over by the federal investigator, NIA. A day after Home Minister Amit Shah visited the region. Owing to bad weather, however, he could not fly to the distant mountainous area and spoke to the families of the victims on phone. Shah presided over a high-level security review meeting in which various decisions were taken. He announced having a 360-degree security net to wipe out militancy from the Jammu region and strengthen Security Grid within three months. The 360-degree security circle, he said will completely eliminate the support and information system of terrorists.
In two years, Kashmir lost 35 persons (18 in 2021 and 17 in 2022) to electrocution. These included 19 temporary KPDCL employees.
DODA
Two daughters and a son of an erstwhile mechanic at Baglihar power project created history by cracking the coveted JKAS examination together. What is interesting is that they lacked access to personal phones and never went to coaching. They basically belong to a Doda village and have shifted to Jammu. The siblings include sisters – Ifra Anjum, Huma Anjum and their younger brother Suhail Ahmad Wani. It was the first attempt for Ifra and Suhail, but elder sister Huma qualified it in her second attempt. They said they studied together and learned a lot from the mistake that their elder sister committed in her first attempt.
The JKAS results declared by JK Public Service Commission in record time filled 187 positions in the Jammu and Kashmir administration – 56 JKAS, 71 JKPS and 60 will go to the Jammu and Kashmir Accounts Service. Of the 187 candidates, 90 candidates were selected in Open Merit. Rest are from reserved categories – 22 candidates belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) – six of them have secured their seats in Open Merit as well – 19 candidates belong to Scheduled Tribe (ST), 24 candidates belong to Residents of Backward Area (RBA) – eight of them also fall in Open Merit, 18 candidates belonged to Economically Weaker Section (EWS), three candidates belong to Physically Handicapped Category (PHC), eight candidates belong to Pahari Speaking People (PSP) – two of them secured their seats among Open Merit also, eleven candidates belong to Actual Line of Control/ International Border (ALC/IB) and four of them secured their seat among Open Merit, six candidates belong to Social Caste (SLC) and one of them secured the seat among Open Merit. As many as 31 candidates from Kashmir were declared successful.
Nearly 24 per cent of the population in Jammu and Kashmir own a car
WEST BENGAL
A probe is underway to investigate why a West Bengal textbook used the word “Azad Kashmir” in an exercise book meant for the tenth-class examination. The book belonged to Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamadir, a government-aided school in Malda district. It asked the students to identify several places on the map including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It read: On the map of India locate the following places, with the options being “Azad Kashmir”, Moplah (Malabar) rebellion area, the place where Gandhiji had first undertaken the Satyagraha movement and Chittagong battleground. It became an issue after some BJP leaders put the photograph on social media. In reaction, Jr Education Minister in Delhi, Subhas Sarkar alleged that the question setter was inspiring terrorism. “The paper setter is anti-national. He is inspiring terrorism. This is shameful,” Sarkar said. “The West Bengal Education Minister should write to him and this test paper cell should be shut immediately.”
In four years, Jammu and Kashmir reported 51577 cancer cases. There were 6824 deaths in 2018, 7003 in 2019, 7189 cancer deaths in 2020, 7211 in 2021 and 7396 in 2022.
DELHI
Hindal Haider Taybji
One of the petitioners against Article 370 abrogation, Hindal Haidar Tyabji, former Jammu and Kashmir former Chief Secretary, died in Delhi. He was 82. Scion of the rich Taybji family – he was the son of Badruddin Taybji, HH Taybji was married in Srinagar, when he was a young officer, but the union ended up in divorce soon. It was much later that he married Nalini Misra and adopted her family. He served Jammu and Kashmir for 37 years and was the only officer who worked as ACS after being removed as Chief Secretary. His death was widely condoled in Kashmir, especially by people who worked with him. He is being seen as a “friend of Kashmir” who was hugely rich but lived a modest life and would spend most of his earnings on charity. The cigar-smoking bureaucrat was faith-neutral but very well-read, dignified and a positive human being. He was briefly the law secretary of the Government of India as well. He was created in Delhi.
J&K Waqf Board says of around 31000 properties in Jammu and Kashmir, they only control only 10 per cent directly.
ANANTNAG
With most of the services that the Jammu and Kashmir government is offering are online. Almost 400 services have gone completely online. Now cell phone is the key player in governance. However, in the quantum jump, a lot of people are caught in the digital divide. One faction of people is the women from weaker sections who had applied offline for marriage assistance. They married and claim they had raised debts in the hope the assistance will come and they will payback. Now they are caught in the mess. Officials, they claim tell them the off-line mode is over. They have been protesting over the crisis they are in. How will the online system manage the off-line backlog, it is something that needs to be watched in ‘smart-governed’ Jammu and Kashmir.
In order to make butchers sell mutton at Rs 535 a kg fixed in 2021, authorities have sealed more than 117 mutton shops.
JAMMU
Administratively, Jammu and Kashmir might be separate from Ladakh but technically it is not. The leaders from the twin districts of Kargil and Leh – now a division and a UT, have been seeking rights and have protested many times in the desert region since 2019. Not seeing it effective, they moved to Jammu where they led a huge slogan-shouting march. Chering Dorjay Lakrook and KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalaie led a march in Jammu for full-fledged Statehood for Ladakh, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, recruitment and job reservation for the youth of the region and two separate Parliamentary constituencies for Leh and Kargil. They are now moving to Delhi with their demands to Jantar Mantar. Ladakh leaders have stayed away from the high-powered committee constituted recently by the MHA.
Almost 97 per cent of the Jammu Kashmir population has Golden Card that guarantees cashless health cover.
SAHARANPUR
Mufti Abdul Gani Azhari
Kashmir’s veteran Islamic scholar Mufti Abdul Gani Azhari died at Saharanpur where he was teaching at a respected seminary. He was 100 plus years and was not keeping a good health for a long time. Azhari was head of the Arabic department at the University of Kashmir. Popularly known as Gani Azhari, the respected Gujjar scholar was an authority on Naqishbandiya Silsila and a veteran Arabic scholar. He was a polymath sufi, who was born in Poonch in 1922 and finally migrated to Sagam in Kokernag. He studied at Darul Uloom Deoband and Mazahir al Uloom Saharanpur. He did his PhD from Jamia al-Azhari. He retired as head of the Arabic department of the University of Kashmir in 1997.
LAKHANPUR
Leaders at a stage in Lakhanpur after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra enters JK
A day ahead of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry into Jammu and Kashmir, Congress’s spokesperson in Jammu enforced some morality by resigning against the party’s invitation to Choudhary Lal Singh. Deepika Pushkar Nath said she was “left with no option but to resign” from the Congress over the decision taken by the party’s state unit to “allow” Singh to join the Yatra. She said the Yatra was “ideologically opposite” to the actions of Singh as he “divided the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir to protect the rapists.” A two-time MP and three-time MLA who has been with Congress and BJP before floating his own party – Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), Singh had extended his support to the Yatra. He had played a key role in supporting the accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in 2018. Nath had stood up for the victim and her family in the Kathua rape case, and had taken the parents of the victim to the High Court at Jammu for monitoring of the investigation. She had also guided them to approach the Supreme Court for seeking a transfer of the trial to Pathankot in Punjab. After Nath took the stand, Omar also questioned Singh’s decision to be part of Yatra. Eventually, Congress said it would stand by the victim’s family. Though Singh was part of the welcome function, he was not invited to share the stage. “Let me tell you, Kashmir-based parties will never allow Jammu to develop, prosper or form its own identity,” a sulking Singh told reporters.
Rahul Gandhi said he is revisiting his routes, His yatra will conclude on January 31 with a grand function in Srinagar.
SHALIMAR
A man shows new Rs 2000 currency after exchanging old Rs 500 and 1000 denominations at Srinagar on Thursday 11 November 2016. KL Image Bilal Bahadur
Under the Ministry of Science and Technology Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (DST-PURSE) scheme, two universities in Kashmir – SKUAST-K, and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) got substantial funding of Rs 10 crore each. The universities have to formally apply and justify the grant on basis of the scientific work they had done and the publications they have made. These funds go into the creation of adequate infrastructure for high-end scientific research. The grant comes on basis of high-impact scientific publications. In 2021, the University of Kashmir also got a Rs 10 crore DST-PURSE grant. Jammu University got a Rs 16.75 crore grant in 2016. The grant is once in a five or 10-year affair.
SRINAGAR: Amid forecast of “widespread snowfall”, the minimum temperature on Tuesday recorded a drop in Jammu and Kashmir barring twin capitals and Qazigund, officials said.
Quoting a meteorological department official news agency GNS reported that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.3°C against last night’s minus 3.4°C. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, is normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against 1.0°C on the previous night and it was 3.3°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 8.8°C against minus 4.7°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.5°C against minus 2.7°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 9.6°C against minus 9.6°C on the previous night and it was 1.3°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at minus 3.4°C against minus 2.9°C on the previous night and it was normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 8.5°C against 6.5°C on the previous night. It was 1.5°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 0.3°C (above normal by 0.6°C), Batote 1.5°C (above normal by 0.1°C), Katra 7.2°C (1.2°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 0.8°C (2.1°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.2°C and minus 16.8°C respectively, the official said.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
The MeT department has forecast “widespread moderate snow/(rain in Jammu) & moderate to heavy snow over middle and higher reaches of J&K” from today evening to January 25. “On January 26-28th, weather is expected to be partly to generally cloudy with light snow or rain at isolated places.”
From January 29-30th, the MeT department has forecast widespread moderate to heavy rain and snow.
He said that in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours Pahalgam and Gulmarg received 0.5cm and 0.8cm of snowfall respectively. Reports said that snowfall was also received from some upper reaches in the Valley.
