Rs 540-cr project to irrigate 1.05 lakh acres; likely to turn Jammu into foodgrain surplus region
Jammu: The ambitious Ravi Canal project, which will draw 1,150 cusecs of water from the Ravi river in Kathua district and irrigate 1.05 lakh acres of agricultural land in the state, is finally cruising towards the take-off stage. The project will not only make the Jammu region self-sufficient in food grain production but may also result in surplus productivity.

JAMMU: Keeping in pace with the technology and modern scientific wildlife management tools, the department of Wildlife Protection has introduced latest cameras to be installed in different wildlife sanctuaries in Jammu in order to conserve and protect the wild animals in a scientific method.

The Department has recently procured IR as well as flash Camera Traps for studying animal presence, conducting research in different wildlife sanctuaries and conserve the reserves including Nandini, Ramnagar, Sudhmahadev, etc.

BILLAWAR: Despite blanket ban by the Supreme Court of India on green felling, nearly 200 green Deodar trees have been felled in Machhedi area of Billawar Forest Division.

Sources said this felling in a particular Compartment of Billawar Range at Kun Nallah on Billawar-Machhedi road, has been done in last 4-5 days. The village Panchayat members, taking serious note of the illegal felling brought the matter to the notice of concerned Block Forest Officer, Bhupinder Singh and Range Officer, Billawar Mohinder Raina.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said the state would get its share of water from Punjab following a three decade-long dispute over it.

"For the first time in 30 years, the state would be getting its share of water from Punjab's Ranjit Sagar Dam," Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Moh-ud-Din, said while addressing a public rally in Doda district.

Jammu: Nearly 17,000 households have been covered under Remote Electrification Programme (RVE) against the target of 25000 households so far in the State, revealed Minister for Science and Information Technology, Aga Syed Ruhullah, while reviewing physical and financial achievements of the programme at a high level meeting held here today.

Realising that illegal mining from the Ravi in Kathua district is posing a threat to the road and rail bridges on the Jammu-Pathankot road, the Kathua Deputy Commissioner has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC near the river.

Zahida Khan, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, told The Tribune over the phone that after getting a number of complaints in this regard, the administration imposed the ban order.

The Government has accorded sanction to release of 15.33 crore under SDRF for clearing the liabilities on account of restoration works done in three regions of the State in wake of flash floods, cloudburst and hailstorm.

Heavy rain accompanied by high-velocity winds and a flash flood claimed nine lives and disrupted life in the Jammu region since last night.

Six passengers were killed when a Jammu-bound bus fell into a seasonal rivulet following a flash flood, near Mahanpur village, 5 km from Billawar tehsil of Kathua district, early today.

KATHUA: District Development Board, Kathua which met here today under the chairmanship of Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora approved Rs. 8676.92 lakh district plan for the current financial year. The plan includes Rs. 5301.02 lakh as capital component and Rs. 3375.90 revenue component. Out of the capital component Rs. 2439.52 lakh is the loan component.

Sarpanches, panches to be involved in Bani tehsil

As the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has failed to effectively take off in the backward Bani tehsil of Kathua district, the authorities have decided to involve newly-elected sarpanches and panches to make the poverty-alleviation scheme functional in the area.