Jammu & Kashmir

Waris Fayaz

Baramulla, Nov 11 : A joinery mill was gutted in a massive blaze in Delina area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a massive fire broke out in the joinery mill in Delina area today evening.

He said that in the incident joinery mill was completely gutted, however, timely action of the fire and emergency department prevented the fire from spreading further.

The official added that cause of fire was immediately not known and further investigation has been taken up—(KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 10 : At a time when outdoor saffron in Kashmir is facing three major challenges—lack of irrigation facilities, conversion of saffron land and shortage of saffron corns, farmers in Kashmir’s Saffron bowl, Pampore are growing saffron indoors, which according to them has of late, shown positive results.

Majid Farooq, a grower from Shaar Shali area of Pampore while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that his family is the first who have started indoor cultivation in the area and results have been phenomenal and most important thing has been that indoor saffron has pure quality.

Ab Majeed Wani, President of Saffron Growers Association of Kashmir told KNO that indoor saffron cultivation is a reality and it has been showing very positive results as of now and there remains zero impact of climate change, extensive rain or heat on indoor saffron.

He said that it will increase the saffron production, the demand can be easily met and even people who don’t have land can grow saffron in their homes.

Dr Bashir Ahmad Allaie, head of Advance Research Station for Saffron and Seed Spices, while talking to KNO said that as climate change has been affecting our every crop and like that it has started to put its impact on outdoor saffron and now we need irrigation for saffron which wasn’t earlier and indoor saffron under these circumstances can play vital role in meeting demand and supply.

Since 2018 we have been working on this experiment and after two years we distributed it for demonstration among farmers, he said, adding that around 12 indoor saffron units have been started in homes of farmers and they are happy with the result.

Through the new multi-tier method, the corms are put in trays and they require around 100 days of darkness before the yield is harvested. “The process is started in August, the flowering begins between October 10 and 15, followed by harvesting in the month of November,” he said.

“Our aim is to accommodate more and more corn in room and get more yield,” he said, adding that corns are being uprooted in June and temperature, humidity and light play pivotal role in the yield and if farmer will take care these things very well, yield will more—(KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 10 : The Endangered royal stag, popularly known as the Hangul, has shown a gradual increase in its population and fresh survey in this regard is being carried out through genetic methods.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red Data Book which contains lists of species at risk of extinction has declared the Hangul as one of three species that were critically endangered in J&K. The other two are the Markhor and the Tibetan antelope or ‘Chiru’.

The Hangul is placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978.

“To increase the breed of the ‘Hangul’, the animal breeding centre is functional at Shikargah area of Tral in Pulwama under the ‘Species Recovery Programme”, an official said.

The official said that the last Hangul census was conducted in 2021, the population of Hangul has shown a significant rise. “Presently the Hangul population is 263 as per the 2021 census”, he said.

The census revealed that the number of Hangul males per 100 females was 126 in 2021 down from 153 in 2019. The number of fawns per 100 females has increased to 13.4 in 2021 from 9 in 2019.

He said the census reports available with the department show the annual hangul counting started since 2004 using scientific methods which estimates the population at 197 in 2004, 153 in 2006, 127 in 2008, 175 in 2009, 218 in 2011, 186 in 2015, 214 in 2017 and 237 in 2019.

Aaltaf Hussain Dentoo, Wildlife Warden, Central division told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that there is a gradual increase in the population and there are no worrisome factors.

“As hangul is endangered but like other animals they get their food naturally. In winters, during snowfall, we drop some vegetables, fresh leaves and other things for them”, he said.

Teams are being sent on the ground to find the population of Hangul and this time we are using genetic methods to find the population of the Hangul, he said.

“The fecal matter of the Hangul will be sent to Hyderabad laboratory where through a very advanced method, we will find out the total number of Hangul”, Aaltaf said—(KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 10 : The authorities in South Kashmir’s Shopian district have seized nine properties including two schools belonging to banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami.

According to an order, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that 9 properties have surfaced that are owned by and under possession of banned association Jamat-e-Islami and are located in the jurisdiction of district Shopian and are to be notified in terms of section 8 UA(P) Act.

As per the order the properties include 2 school buildings and separate lands registered in the name of JEI.

It reads that upon obtaining the report from concerned Tehsildar and after perusal of Revenue Record pertaining to these properties, it was found that these properties are owned by or under possession of banned Jamat-e-Islami association through their members.

The order reads that on perusal of the records and other connected documents, these are hereby notified in terms of section 8 of UA(P) Act 1967.

It added that the entry into and usage of these properties by anyone, other than investigating officers of SIA and police for the purpose of investigation, has been banned—(KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 09 : National Investigation Agency (NIA) Wednesday filed a chargesheet against the accused under arms, explosives act in the case regarding the activities of the The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit.

In a statement issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the NIA spokesman said that it filed a chargesheet in ‘activities of The Resistance Front’, an offshoot of LeT, proscribed terrorist organisation, in RC-32/2021/NIA/DLI

“Today (09.11.2022) NIA filed supplementary charge-sheet in this case against the activities of ‘The Resistance Front’, an offshoot of LeT, a proscribed terrorist organisation, in the NIA Special Court, PHC, New Delhi against accused Muzamil Mushtaq Bhat alias Hamza alias Daniyal, resident of District Baramulla (J&K) UT u/s 120B of the IPC, Section 25 (1AA) of the Arms act, Section 4 of the Explosive Substances act, 1908 and Sections 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 & 39 of the UA(P) Act, 1967,” the statement said, adding that the case was registered suo moto by NIA n 18.11.2021. During investigations, it emerged that the accused person Muzamil Mushtaq Bhat alias Humza alias Daniyal,who is associated with Pakistan based handlers/ operative commanders of LeT/TRF, had radicalized, motivated and instigated vulnerable youth to join terrorist groups, such as TRF in Kashmir.

He entered into a conspiracy with active terrorist commanders in the valley to train youth of Kashmir to fabricate IEDs/explosives using locally available chemicals. “He, alongwith other co-accused and Pakistan based handlers/operatives of LeT/TRF actively participated in acts in support of LeT and received funds from Pakistan based operatives of LeT. He also facilitated the transfer of weapons in Kashmir for furtherance of terrorist activities in India,” the statement added—(KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 09 : A hotel owner from Pahalgam area of South Kashmir’s Anantnga district travelled nearly 70 kilometres to return money to a tourist that he had forgot in the hotel room in Pahalgam.

As per details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Abdul Wahid Wani, owner of Best view resort at Ladroo, Pahalgam returned over 19 thousand to the tourist that he had forgot while leaving the hotel.

Taking to KNO, Wahid said a tourist namely Ramesh Choudhary had stayed in his hotel and next day his daughter came to clean the room and found Rs 19,700 there.

“We were waiting to return the money to the owner and on November 08 I received a call of the tourist who had forgot the money. I returned the money to his on the same day,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ramesh who got his money back told KNO that the hotel owner travelled 70 kilometres to return him the lost money.

“I am very thankful to the man who returned my lost money,” he added—(KNO)