Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

Gulmarg Tourist

Gulmarg: Heavy Tourist Footfall During Christmas Holidays

By LokMarg

World-famous tourist destination Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to receive a huge influx of tourists in the coming months, especially on New Year. The Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) along with other administrative wings and tourism players gears up properly for a successful winter tourist season. People from across the world visit Gulmarg during peak months of winter. The government is ready to welcome tourists by providing them with all needed facilities.

Gulmarg, which is one of the most incredible tourist destinations, is famous for its eye-catching view during the snowfall season as well as the season of lupine flowers, which usually begins in mid-June and lasts until the end of July.

Snowfall and other adventure activities including skiing, snow skating, snow cycling and the Khelo India event, organised by the J&K sports council, youth sports and services and the Department of Tourism increase tourists’ attraction towards Gulmarg.

Hoteliers have already received guidelines from administrators regarding good arrangements including furnishing, proper electricity heating, arrangements, regular hot water supply and quality food at their restaurants.

Meanwhile tourists dressed as Santa Claus marked Christmas Day celebrations in Gulamrg, Tourists also made their way to a picture perfect St. Mary Church in Gulmarg to celebrate the festival. Members of the Christian Community headed by Father Eric and Father Venoo held a prayer ceremony at the Church and prayed for the welfare of all the people of the valley and for a peaceful new year ahead.

“Guess who came to #Gulmarg to celebrate #Christmas Eve? After all, what better place to celebrate the #holiday season? Join us for the new year festivities in #Jammu & #Kashmir! #Christmas2023 #newyear #snow #winter #travelling #SeasonsGreetings” posted JK Tourism on X.

Taxi operators and other service providers have received instructions from the government regarding proper services to tourists and maintaining the rates so that they too can earn their livelihood during the winter tourist season.

Meanwhile, Ghanta Ghar in Srinagar has become a major tourist attraction offering panoramic views of the city. Tourists are enjoying the serene weather taking strolls around the Ghanta Ghar and taking selfies.

The fog adds an element of mystery and romance to the experience, as the tower looms in and out of sight adding to the charm of the surroundings. The soft light filtering through the fog creates a dreamlike setting, making it a memorable and picturesque experience for all those who visit. (ANI)

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Rajouri Anti-terror Operations

Around 30 Pak Terrorists Active In Rajouri-Poonch Sector

By LokMarg

Pakistan is trying to revive terrorism in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir as around 25-30 Pakistani terrorists are suspected to be hiding in the forest areas of the region, defence sources said on Friday.

The sources said the plan to revive terrorist activities in the area is part of a greater game plan by Pakistan and China to pressurise the Indian Army to remove troops from the Ladakh sector and redeploy forces in this area.

“There is a larger game plan by the Pakistan-China nexus to not allow India to ease out of the Jammu and Kashmir sector and deploy troops on the China border, especially in the Ladakh sector, where the PLA and Indian forces have been in a standoff for the last three years now,” they said.

India moved the Uniform Force of Rashtriya Rifles from the Poonch sector to Ladakh to counter Chinese aggression in 2020 as part of rebalancing and put pressure on the PLA to match Indian strength.

Sources said that around 25-30 Pakistani terrorists have been hiding in the upper reaches of the Poonch Rajouri sector in a forested area to launch attacks on security forces.

Over the last years since the Uniform Force left for Ladakh operations, Pakistan has started sending its own terrorists from Pakistan to the area to carry out attacks against Indian troops in an attempt to force India to redeploy its own troops in the area.

The Indian Army had recently moved in one more brigade to counter terrorist activities and has achieved success in the area.

Earlier on Thursday evening, four Army personnel were killed while three others were injured in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri district after two Army vehicles were ambushed by heavily armed terrorists.

The terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles carrying troops in Thanamandi, Rajouri. (ANI)

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Kiren Rijiju

Rijiju rips Cong, DMK MPs For Questioning SC Ruling On Article 370

By LokMarg

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at leaders of INDIA block partners Congress and the DMK over their ‘disparaging’ remarks on the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling, upholding the revocation of special constitutional privileges under Article 370 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the region into separate Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Sharing a video clip of proceedings in the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, Rijiju posted from his official handle on X, “This is not only pejorative remarks on the Supreme Court but the motive behind is very dangerous for our country’s unity.”

In the video clip shared by the Union Minister, DMK MP Mohamad Abdulla and Congress member Venugopal are heard criticising the apex court ruling on the abrogation of Article 370 on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, prompting a heated exchange with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who scolded the members saying that “they can’t ridicule the judgement of the highest court of law”.

“India is known for its diversity but if we allow Congress & DMK agenda to succeed, India will break up. Freedom of speech is not for self-determination,” the Union Minister added in his post.

Coming to the DMK member’s defence, Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal is heard saying in the clip, “The member has the freedom to speak about that (Supreme Court judgement). He holds every right to criticise the judgment also.”

“Every race has a right to self-determination that appeals to the people of Kashmir,” DMK MP Mohamad Abdulla said in the Upper House, during a debate on two draft legislations on Jammu and Kashmir, ruffling feathers in the Treasury benches.

Taking strong objection to the DMK MP’s remarks, Dhankhar said, “This is improper. The highest court of the land has given a judgement. The honourable member is talking about…You can’t ridicule the judgement.”

“It (Freedom of Speech) does not give you the licence to say whatever you feel. You have to be highly accountable. You have to be accountable,” Dhankhar warned Venugopal.

Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld the Union government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir saying that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a State can’t be subject to a legal challenge. (ANI)

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Article 370 Farooq Abdullah

Let J&K Go To Hell: Farooq Abdullah On Article 370

By LokMarg

National Conference chief and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, when questioned about the Supreme Court’s verdict on the abrogation of Article 370, said that Jammu and Kashmir should “go to hell.”

“Let Jammu and Kashmir go to hell…They betrayed people. They want to win people’s hearts. How’d you win that if you’d do such things to push people farther away?” Abdullah said on Tuesday while talking to reporters.

Coming out in defence of Jawahar Lal Nehru after the BJP blamed the country’s first prime minister for decades of violence and instability in Jammu and Kashmir and the special constitutional privileges for the erstwhile state under Article 370, NC stalwart and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday claimed that the former was in the US when the special provision was brought.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the former Jammu and Kashmir CM claimed then Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and saffron ideologue and Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee were involved in the process of according special constitutional privileges to the erstwhile state.

“I don’t know why they (BJP) have so much venom against (Pandit Jawaharlal) Nehru. Nehru is not the one responsible (for providing special status to J-K under Article 370). When this article (370) was brought, Sardar Patel was here (in Parliament) and Pandit Nehru was in America. When the cabinet meeting (on the imposition of the special constitutional provision) took place, Syama Prasad Mukherjee was also party to it. It was at this meeting that the decision was taken,” the NC stalwart said.

Abdullah said he was hopeful that the Supreme Court would direct the Centre to conduct immediate elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The apex court, while upholding the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in a landmark ruling on Monday, set a deadline of September next year for the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and hold elections there.

“We want immediate elections to take place in Kashmir but the Supreme Court gave them time till September. Where’s the justice?” he said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and blamed him for Pakistan’s illegal occupation of a portion of Kashmir, known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Shah was speaking in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Also, in Lok Sabha last week, Shah said that Nehru made two big mistakes due to which Kashmir had to suffer for many years. (ANI)

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Article 370

SC Upholds Abrogation Of Article 370

By LokMarg

A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the validity of the Union government’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution which conferred the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, while pointing out that Article 370 is a “temporary provision”.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant said, “It can be garnered from the historical context for the inclusion of Article 370 and the placement of Article 370 in Part XXI of the Constitution that it is a temporary provision.”

The apex court said Article 370 was enacted due to wartime conditions in the State and was meant to serve a transitional purpose.

“Article 370 was introduced to serve two purposes. First, the transitional purpose: to provide for an interim arrangement until the Constituent Assembly of the State was formed and could take a decision on the legislative competence of the Union on matters other than the ones stipulated in the Instrument of Accession, and ratify the Constitution; and second, a temporary purpose: an interim arrangement in view of the special circumstances because of the war conditions in the State,” the Constitution bench stated in it’s verdict.

The top court further said, “We have held that a textual reading of Article 370 also indicates that it is a temporary provision. For this purpose, we have referred to the placement of the provision in Part XXI of the Constitution which deals with temporary and transitional provisions, the marginal note of the provision which states “temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir”, and a reading of Articles 370 and 1 by which the State became an integral part of India upon the adoption of the Constitution.”

The petitioners, challenging the abrogation of Article 370, had said that Article 370 was no longer a “temporary provision” and it had assumed permanence post the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.

The five-judge bench pronounced three concurring verdicts–one by CJI DY Chandrachud for himself and Justices Gavai and Surya Kant. Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna have authored two separate concurring judgments.

The top court held that the State of Jammu and Kashmir did not retain an element of sovereignty when it joined the Union of India.

The apex court said that although Maharaja Hari Singh, the erstwhile ruler of the princely state, issued a proclamation that he would retain his sovereignty, his successor Karan Singh issued another proclamation that the Indian Constitution would prevail over all other laws in the state.

It added, “The Proclamation reflects the full and final surrender of sovereignty by Jammu and Kashmir, through its sovereign ruler, to India–to her people who are sovereign.”

Neither the constitutional setup nor any other factors indicate that the State of Jammu and Kashmir retained an element of sovereignty, it said. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was only to further define the relationship between the Union of India and the State of Jammu and Kashmir, said the bench ruled.

“The State of Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of the Union of India is evident from Articles 1 and 370 of the Indian Constitution. It is reiterated in Section 3 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which is unamendable,” it added.

The apex court said that simply because the Constituent Assembly ceased to exist, it did not mean Article 370 would continue permanently. “The President was empowered to issue the order to abrogate Article 370,” the top court added.

“The exercise of power by the President under Article 370(1)(d) to issue Constitutional Order (CO) 272 is not mala fide. The President in exercise of power under Article 370(3), can unilaterally issue a notification that Article 370 ceases to exist. The President did not have to secure the concurrence of the government of the State or Union government acting on behalf of the State government under the second proviso to Article 370(1)(d) while applying all the provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir because such an exercise of power has the same effect as an exercise of power under Article 370(3) for which the concurrence or collaboration with the State government was not required,” the verdict stated.

“Article 370(3) was introduced for constitutional integration and not for constitutional disintegration. Holding that 370(3) cannot be used after constituent assembly was dissolved cannot be accepted,” it added.

It upheld CO 272 issued by the President on August 5 to the extent it made provisions of the Constitution of India applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.

Further, it took into note Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s submission that the Statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored, except for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

“In view of the statement we do not find it necessary to determine whether the reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir is permissible under Article 3. However. we uphold the validity of the decision to carve out the Union Territory of Ladakh in view of Article 3(a) read with Explanation I which permits forming a Union Territory by separation of a territory from any State,” the bench added.

It directed that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by 30 September 2024.

Restoration of Statehood shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible, it added. The Constitution bench was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

A number of petitions were filed in the top court including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists and politicians and political parties challenging the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union territories. (ANI)

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supreme court women dr

SC To Pronounce Judgement On Pleas Challenging Abrogation Of Article 370 Today

By LokMarg

The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories on Monday (December 11).

Five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant will pass the judgement today.

On September 5, the apex court reserved the judgement after hearing the arguments for 16 days.

The central government had defended its decision to abrogate Article 370, saying there was no “constitutional fraud” in repealing the provision that accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for Centre.

The Centre had told the bench that Jammu and Kashmir was not the only state whose accession to India was through instruments of accession, but many other princely states that too had joined India post-independence in 1947, with conditionalities and after their merger, their sovereignty was subsumed in the sovereignty of India.

At the time of independence in 1947, the majority of the 565 princely states were in Gujarat and many had conditions relating to taxes, land acquisition and other issues, the central government told the bench.

The Centre had also submitted that the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory is only temporary and it will be restored to statehood; however, Ladakh would remain a Union Territory.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of the petitioners, had opened the arguments, saying Article 370 was no longer a “temporary provision” and had assumed permanence post the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.

He had contended that the Parliament could not have declared itself to be the legislature of J-K to facilitate the abrogation of Article 370, as Article 354 of the Constitution does not authorise such an exercise of power.

Highlighting that the express terms of clause 3 of Article 370 show that a recommendation from the Constituent Assembly was essential to removing Article 370, Sibal had argued that in the wake of the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, whose recommendation was required to abrogate Article 370, the provision could not be revoked.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association had told the Supreme Court that while acceding to India, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to his sovereignty over the territory of the state but not his sovereign power to rule and govern the state.

The accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India was territorial and except for defence, external affairs and communication, all the powers were retained with the state to make laws and govern, said senior advocate ZA Zafar, appearing for the J-K High Court Bar Association.

The Central government had defended its decision to abolish Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that after the changes, street violence, which was engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks, has now become a thing of the past.

Since 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, the entire region has witnessed an “unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity,” the Centre said.

After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, life has returned to normalcy there after three decades of turmoil, the Centre, in its affidavit, told the Supreme Court.

The Constitution Bench was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

Several petitions were filed in the top court, including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists, politicians and political parties challenging the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two union territories. (ANI)

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Amit Shah POK

Shah Blames Nehru For PoK

By LokMarg

Blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for Pakistan occupying part of Jammu and Kashmir which belongs to India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that due to the “two blunders” of the former Prime Minister, Kashmir had to “suffer for years.”

While replying to a debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in Lok Sabha, Shah noted that Nehru made “two blunders”– declared a ceasefire without winning the entire Kashmir (during India-Pakistan war in 1948) and also took the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.

Shah asserted that if Nehru had taken the right steps, PoK would be an integral part of India today.

“I support the word that was used here — Nehruvian blunder. Because of the blunder that was committed during the time of Nehru, Kashmir had to suffer. With responsibility, I want to say that the two blunders that happened during the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru, due to his decisions, because of which Kashmir had to suffer for years. The first is to declare a ceasefire – when our army was winning, the ceasefire was imposed. If there had been a ceasefire after three days, PoK would have been a part of India today…The second is to take our internal issue to the UN,” Shah said.

During the debate, the Home Minister also said that the root cause of terrorism in the region was nothing but Article 370, which was abrogated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in 2019.

“During the 1994-2004 period, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism were registered. During the 2004-2014 period, a total of 7,217 incidents of terrorism took place. During the 2014-2023 period, under the Narendra Modi government, the total incidents of terrorism registered have been around 2,000, which marks a 70 per cent reduction in the incidents of terrorism. That is why I was right in saying that the root cause of separatism, the root cause of terrorism was nothing but Article 370,” he said.

The Home Minister, during his address in the lower house, reaffirmed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of the country.

He said that the Delimitation Commission, set up by the Centre for the delimitation of asssembly and parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, has reserved 24 seats for PoK.

“The Delimitation (Commission) went everywhere in J-K. The representatives of several communities, including Kashmiri migrants and people displaced in PoK, had submitted applications to them regarding their representation in state assembly. I am happy that the commission has taken cognizance of this and the (then) Election Commissioner of India has nominated two seats in state assembly for Kashmiri migrants and one seat for a person displaced in PoK, which has been occupied unauthorizedly by Pakistan,” Shah said.

“Earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu (division), now there are 43. Earlier there were 46 in Kashmir, now there are 47. And 24 seats for PoK have been reserved, Kyuki Woh Hamara Hai (because PoK is ours),” he added.

During the debate, Shah also said that these bills pertain to bringing justice to those against whom injustice was done.

He said that, as per figures, around 46,631 families and 1,57,967 people were displaced in their own country. “This bill is to give them rights and representation,” he added.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.

It was enacted to provide for reservation in appointment and admission in professional institutions for the members of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and other socially and educationally backward classes.

The bill seeks to amend Section 2 of the Reservation Act to change the nomenclature of “weak and under privileged classes (social castes)” to “other backward classes” and make consequential amendments.

The other bill seeks to provide representation to “Kashmiri Migrants”, “Displaced Persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir “to preserve their political rights as well as for their overall social and economic development”.

It seeks to insert new sections 15A and 15B in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 to nominate not more than two members, one of whom shall be a woman, from the community of “Kashmiri Migrants” and one Member from “Displaced Persons from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir”, to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

Twenty-nine members participated in the debate on the bills. (ANI)

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Omar Abdullah

Abrogation Of Article 370 Harmed Relation Between J-K And Rest Of Country: Omar Abdullah

By LokMarg

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday unleashed an attack against the BJP-led Central government, saying that it harmed the relation between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country with its decision of abrogating the Article 370 provisions.

The NC leader, while speaking to media persons here, said that no one there was happy with the decision to revoke the special status of the erstwhile state.

“There is no doubt that they did it and they have hurt the sentiments of people while doing it. The promises made to Jammu and Kashmir were not promises made by one leader sitting in Delhi or a party, but it was the country that made promises to the people of J-K. The bond was not between a person in Delhi and JK, it was a link between a country with this state,” Abdullah said.

He further said that people will show their unhappiness with the decisions when assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The bond was not between a person in Delhi and J-K, it was a link between a country with this state. If they think that harming this bond deserves congratulations, then let them congratulate each other. The truth is that people in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are not happy with the steps taken on August 5, 2019. This was proved in Kargil (LAHDC polls). It was proved in DDC (District Development Council) polls and if they conduct assembly elections here, it would be proved again,” he added.

Hitting out at the Centre for not conducting the elections in the region, Omar Abdullah alleged that a fixed match is being played.

“It is the right of people of J-K to use their vote and elect their leaders. We are being kept away from this. A fixed match is being played – when you ask the Election Commission (about elections in J-K), it points at the Centre, and when we ask the Centre, it points towards EC,” the NC leader said.

Further asserting that the delay in holding assembly elections in the Union territory was taking Jammu and Kashmir on the path to destruction, Abdullah said that people of the region are being deprived of their right to vote.

“It’s taking the region towards destruction. People have been deprived of their right to vote since 2014,” he said.

This comes on a day when a debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill is taking place in the Lok Sabha.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the two bills on Jammu and Kashmir moved for approval in the Lok Sabha pertain to providing rights to those who faced injustice and were insulted and ignored.

The Home Minister further said that bills seek to give justice to those who were forced to become refugees in their own country.

“I am glad that throughout the whole discussion and debate over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023, no member opposed the ‘tattva’ (substance) of the Bill.”

He said there is a huge difference between giving rights and giving rights respectfully

“The Bill that I have brought here pertains to bringing justice to and providing rights to those against whom injustice was done, who were insulted and those who were ignored. In any society, those who are deprived should be brought forward. That is the basic sense of the Constitution of India. But they have to be brought forward in a way that doesn’t reduce their respect. There is a huge difference between giving rights and giving rights respectfully. So, instead of weak and deprived category renaming it to Other Backward Class is important,” he said.

The Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, soon after the second term of the PM Modi-led government began.

Included in the Constitution on October 17, 1949, Article 370 exempts J-K from the Indian Constitution (except Article 1 and Article 370 itself) and permits the state to draft its own Constitution. (ANI)

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avalanche warning in J-K's Kupwara

Avalanche Warning Issued For J&K’s Kupwara In Next 24 Hours

By LokMarg

The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) issued an avalanche warning in J-K’s Kupwara in the next 24 hours on Friday.

According to the authorities, an avalanche with a low danger level is likely to occur above 2800 metres above sea level over Kupwara district in the next 24 hours.

“Avalanche with a low danger level is likely to occur above 2,800 metres above sea level over Kupwara district in the next 24 hours,” JKDMA stated.

The authorities also advised people living in these areas to take precautions and avoid venturing into the avalanche-prone areas until further orders.

“People living in these areas are advised to take precautions and avoid venturing in the avalanche-pron areas till further orders,” the authority added. (ANI)

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eBuses For Srinagar

100 eBuses Launched For Srinagar Smart City Project

By LokMarg

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated an e-bus service in Srinagar and launched a fleet of 100 battery-operated vehicles procured under the Smart City initiative.

These battery-operated environment-friendly e-buses will run on 15 designated routes.

“I am very thankful to everyone associated with this project and also thankful to TATA Motors. I hope people of Srinagar will be benefited from this service,” Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said while launching the e-bus service.

Srinagar Smart City Limited CEO Athar Aamir Khan told ANI that the e-buses have been procured under the Smart City initiative with an aim to curb the unavailability of public transport service.

He said that a total of 100 e-buses have been procured for Srinagar, adding that there are two types of electric buses which include 75 nine-meter buses and 25 12-meter buses. These electric buses will ensure zero emission and the driver will have all the control on the vehicles like doors and other things, he said, adding that once these buses will start running on roads, it will reduce the congestion.

These buses are more similar to those in London buses and the idea is that the buses will run for the next 12 years, and a 12-year contract for the same years has been signed with Tata and proper route planning has been done in this regard.

The buses are equipped with air conditioning and air curtains to maintain a comfortable temperature. Additionally, there are five cameras placed strategically throughout the bus, including in the front, back, and near the driver’s seat. In case of emergencies, the buses have a panic button that is connected to a command-and-control centre for immediate assistance.

As part of the project, authorities have prepared an integrated public transport system plan for the city which outlines the specific routes for each bus, as well as the locations of stops, halting points, depots, and charging points. (ANI)

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