Floods blacked out but real

I read newspapers and I watch the news unfold on scores of television channels. But in spite of these sources that keep me informed about current affairs, I would not know that floods are still ravaging vast parts of India. I would not know that over 2,800 people have died in these disasters, which have been termed as the worst ever in living memory. I would not know what is happening in the villages that drowned under the fury of nature or how millions are coping with the water that has swept away crops, livestock, worldly belongings, homes, roads, schools and what not.

Srinagar officials, residents agree on three more dumpsites

on april 13, 2007, residents of Achen, a locality in Srinagar, and the municipal authorities agreed that three new dumpsites should be set up in three zones of the city, to supplement the existing one in Achen. A committee headed by deputy commissioner Ijaz Ahmed was set up to identify the new sites, each handling 25 per cent of the city's waste and lessening the load on Achen. "The new sites will be decided only after consulting residents of the relevant areas," said Quazi Mohammad Afzal, state minister of urban development and water supply.

Adopt manual scavengers act, human rights commission tells states

shakuntala, 60, of Chamarpura village in Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh continues to carry her traditional occupation of manual scavenging. She has no other alternative.

Ladakh's nomads could lose lifeline to sanctuary

The decision by Jammu and Kashmir's Leh district to declare the Changthang region a highaltitude wildlife sanctuary has put Ladakh's Changpa nomads in a fix. The nomads have, for long, been using the land for grazing their livestock including their famous pashm goats. They say the decision will hem them in, though they have, for centuries, been living in harmony with Changthang's ecosystem. The administration's decision has threatened

Gulmarg not ready for Commonwealh Games

with the conclusion of national winter games in February, Jammu and Kashmir's (j&k) winter hotspot Gulmarg is now gearing up to host the Commonwealth Winter Games in 2010. But even as the state government is looking forward to place Gulmarg on the global winter sports map, there are serious questions on the town's infrastructure.

Pinewood smoke: Cause of lung problems

A chronic lung disease--gujjar lung--is afflicting the Gujjars, an ethnic community found mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The cause for the ailment is pinewood smoke. They use pinewood for cooking and heating and living in ill-ventilated houses makes it worse. A team of doctors and scientists in Srinagar has reviewed existing medical evidences. The study has been published in JK Science (Vol 8 No 3).

Baglihar verdict

A fter nearly two years of arbitration, the contentious Baglihar power project over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district has been given the green light. The World Bank's neutral expert submitted his final verdict clearing the project on February 12, at Berne, Switzerland.

In Court

E-mail as PIL

Bear killings raise furore in J&K

on november 17, 2006, villagers in Mandoora village in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral district locked up a bear which had ventured into the village. The next day the animal tried to break free but the villagers chased and roasted it alive. The incident created a stir when a private news channel telecast its footage.

IN COURT

J&K project through: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court recently granted a stay on a decision by the state government to cancel a contract for the 1,200-MW Sawalakote hydroelectric power project. The project is coming up on the river Chinab in Doda district. Based on a petition filed by the Sawalkote Consortium, which is executing the project, the court asked the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation to maintain status quo in regard to the project and restrained the state government from proceeding with global tenders.