JAMMU: Admitting that unscrupulous elements have been making attempts to encroach upon land in and around major cities of the State, Government today said that about 19 lakh kanal State, Forest and Kahcharai land is under encroachment across the State.

In response to a question of CPM MLA, Mohd Yousaf Tarigami, Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla, admitted in the Lower House that unscrupulous elements have been making attempts to encroach upon the State/Kahcharai/ Forest land in and around major cities of the State.

Srinagar witnesses coldest day of the season
Even as the Kashmir valley continues to reel under severe cold, the government today sounded an avalanche warning following last week’s snowfall.
“On the basis of information received from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), a medium avalanche alert has been issued for higher reaches in the Kashmir valley,” Coordinator Natural Disaster Management Cell Aamir Ali said here.

KUPWARA, Nov 18: The case detection rate of different types of tuberculosis (TB) has increased manifold over past 10 years in Kupwara district, witnessing as many as 30 deaths in the past years. Official sources reveal that in comparison to 430 patients suffering from different forms of TB in year 2004, some 600 patients were found to be suffering from different types of the disease till September this year with eight deaths most probably caused due to most deadly form of TB.

Following incessant rain across Kashmir last night, the water level in the Jhelum touched the danger mark this afternoon, prompting the authorities to sound a flood alert. Though the weather conditions improved later, the upper reaches in the Valley witnessed the first snowfall of the season, reports reaching here said.

Paper-II on Census 2011 released

SRINAGAR: As a large number of people have migrated to the urban areas during past three decades in Jammu and Kashmir, there has been sharp decline of 7 percent in rural population, according to the recently released census data.

Srinagar: Even as a majority of the population of Jammu and Kashmir resides in villages, there is an increasing trend of urbanisation in the state, according to Census- 2011. The Director, Census Operations, Farooq Ahmad Factoo, released the details of the urban-rural population of the state here today.

As per the data, the urban population has increased from 24.81 per cent in 2001 to 27.21 per cent in 2011. The total rural population of the state is 91.34 lakh and the urban population stands at 34.14 lakh. The population of the state is 1.25 crore.

SRINAGAR: Underlining the importance of energy efficient and up to the mark power distribution system in ensuring hassle free electricity supply to the consumers, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday laid thrust on time line completion of projects under implementation on the State.

Srinagar: A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook Srinagar and triggered panic across the city on Monday.

State disaster management cell project manager Aamir Ali said tremors lasted for a few seconds and caused no loss to life or property anywhere in the Valley, where earthquake prone districts of Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla fall under seismic zone V.

Minister for Science and Technology, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhullah today said that Government has taken up a mega project of providing solar home lights to 40,000 un-electrified households of remote and far-flung areas which include Doda, Reasi, Ramban and Kupwara.

The Minister was addressing an officers meeting of Science and Technology here today.

The Minister further said