Page 2 - Jammu

Train services restored from Jammu after suspension due to heavy rain

Train services were restored from Jammu on Wednesday after a day-long suspension, with six trains scheduled to leave for their destinations, officials said. Northern Railway on Tuesday night announced the cancellation of 22 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu and Katra railway stations, while 27 trains were short-terminated at various stations in the division due to heavy rain that lashed the region. Train services have been restored from Jammu. Six trains, which were either cancelled or short-terminated, will leave for their destinations today, a railway official said. According to the PRO of Jammu Division, the six restored trains include three that were earlier cancelled and three that were short-terminated at different stations. The trains scheduled to depart from Jammu are Jammu Tawi-Kamakhya Express, Jammu-Sambalpur, Jammu-Ambedkar Nagar, Jammu-Varanasi, Jammu-Bandra, and Jammu-Chhapra. On Tuesday, Northern Railway cancelled 18 trains to and from Katra, Udhampur and ...

Rain mayhem in J&K: 13 dead, including 9 in landslide on Vaishno Devi route

Rivers overflowed, the raging waters flattening everything in their way, and boulders, trees and rocks hurtled down slopes across Jammu region on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, including nine pilgrims struck by a landslide on the Vaishno Devi route. Relentless heavy rain led to havoc not just in Jammu, which saw flashfloods, landslides and the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine being suspended, but also in Kashmir Valley. Infrastructure was severely damaged with bridges collapsing and mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs. Telecom services collapsed in large parts of the union territory, leading to millions being cut off from communication and escalating problems, officials said. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flashfloods, they said. Many trains to and from Jammu were cancelled. The winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop

J&K CM reviews flood mitigation measures, says situation in Jammu serious

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the situation in various parts of Jammu is quite serious following heavy rain and directed the administration to maintain high alert. The chief minister gave the instructions at a meeting held here to take stock of flood control measures in Jammu, his office said in a post on X. Moderate to heavy rain lashed Jammu division for the third consecutive day on Tuesday. Almost all rivers and streams are flowing above or close to the danger mark, submerging a number of low-lying areas and roads in the city and elsewhere. Vehicular movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been suspended. "Chief Minister held a meeting today in the morning to review flood mitigation measures at Jammu in view of incessant rains. He directed the officers to maintain high alert and take all necessary measures," the chief minister's office said. In a separate post on his personal handle on X, Abdullah said the situation in many parts of Jammu is quite ...

Hope SC sets deadline for restoration of statehood to J-K: CM Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday expressed hope that the Supreme Court will set a deadline on the restoration of statehood to the Union territory after it hears the case in October. The apex court on Monday refused to advance the date of hearing on pleas seeking restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the matter is already listed on October 10. "I do not know who went to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing. We also want there should be no delay in this decision," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. He said his government has been after the restoration of statehood for the last ten months since the it took over. "Our first decision in the first cabinet meeting was to pass a resolution on statehood. In my first meeting with the prime minister, the first thing I did was to handover the cabinet resolution on statehood to him," he said. "We have been waiting, but we have not had any benefit. Unfortunately, the SC is no

SC refuses to advance hearing on pleas seeking J-K statehood restoration

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to advance the date of hearing on pleas seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the matter is already listed on October 10. On August 14, a bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai had sought within eight weeks the Centre's response on a separate plea seeking restoration of statehood to the union territory. I am seeking early listing of a contempt petition relating to abrogation of Article 370. Statehood was to be granted to Jammu and Kashmir, a lawyer told the bench also comprising Justice N V Anjaria. It is listed already on October 10, the CJI said on Monday while refusing to advance the date of hearing. We are in the midst of a constitutional bench hearing (the bench is hearing a presidential reference on fixing timelines for governors and the president), Justice Gavai said. While seeking the Centre's response, the bench had earlier said, "You also have to take into consideration the ground realities you cannot igno

Over ₹6.43 crore collected in fee for 75 naib-tehsildar posts in J-K

The recruitment for just 75 naib tehsildar posts has turned into a windfall for Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) which has collected over Rs 6.43 crore from aspirants in application fees, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query. With each form priced at Rs 600 for general and Rs 500 for reserved category, the money collected shows that over one lakh aspirants had applied for the posts but the deferment of the recruitment process last month has now left these candidates in limbo, RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma said. "The sheer scale of the response over one lakh candidates vying for a meagre 75 posts speaks volumes about the deepening unemployment crisis. It reflects the desperation of educated youth who, despite degrees and qualifications, are left with few opportunities," Sharma, who filed the RTI application, told PTI. The JKSSB in its response to the query said that an amount of Rs 6,43,28,400 was collected as fees from th

Jammu administration orders closure of all schools today due to bad weather

A cloudburst in Kathua on Sunday triggered flash floods and landslides, prompting intensified rescue operations to retrieve stranded vehicles

Death toll in cloudburst, landslide in J-K's Kathua rises to seven

A cloudburst cut off a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district amid heavy overnight rains, officials said on Sunday. There was no immediate report of any casualty. The officials said the cloudburst hit Jod Ghati in Rajbagh area of the district during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, snapping access to the village and causing some damage to land and property. A joint team of police and SDRF have been rushed to the village and further details are awaited, they said. They said landslides also hit Bagard and Changda villages under the jurisdiction of Kathua police station and Dilwan-Hutli in Lakhanpur police station area but there was no major report of damage. The heavy rains have led to sharp increase in the level in most of the water bodies with the Ujh river flowing near the danger mark, the officials said. The district administration is closely watching the situation and have requested people to stay away from water bodies for their safety, the offici

J-K authorities identify 21 of 46 bodies from Kishtwar cloudburst

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have identified 21 bodies of the 46 that were retrieved from the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, officials said on Friday. A massive flash flood triggered by a cloudburst struck the remote mountain village in Kishtwar on Thursday, killing at least 46 people, including two CISF personnel. To identify the deceased, the authorities shared victims' pictures through a WhatsApp group with the affected families, resulting in identification of 21 out of the 46 bodies retrieved, they said. Over 160 people have been rescued so far, and the condition of 38 among them is said to be serious. The officials have said that the death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped. "We have shared pictures of the bodies with them so that they can be identified," he said, adding that people are calling to find out the whereabouts of their family members following the cloudburst. On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration set u

Army foils infiltration bid in J-K's Uri sector, one soldier killed

A soldier was killed in an exchange of fire as the Army on Wednesday foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. They said troops foiled the infiltration bid in Churunda area of Uri in Baramulla district of north Kashmir. However, during the exchange of fire, an Army soldier was killed, the officials said. The operation is going on and further details are awaited, the officials added.

2 police officers dead, 1 injured in accident on Jammu-Srinagar highway

Two police officers died in an accident on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here, an official said on Monday. Three sub-inspectors travelling from Srinagar to Jammu after performing Amarnath Yatra duty met with an accident at Tengan in Lasjan area of the city, the official said. The injured police officers were rushed to a hospital where two of them were declared brought dead. The deceased have been identified as Sachin Verma and Shubham, while the injured officer has been identified as Mastan Singh, he said.

J-K govt bans 25 books for propagating false narrative, secessionism

The Jammu and Kashmir government Wednesday declared the publication of 25 books, including those written by famous authors like Moulana Moudadi, Arundhati Roy, A G Noorani, Victoria Schofield and David Devadas, as forfeited for "promoting false narratives and glorifying terrorism". "It has come to the notice of the Government, that certain literature propagates false narrative and secessionism in the Jammu and Kashmir," an order issued by the Home Department said. It said available evidence based on investigations and credible intelligence "unflinchingly indicate" that a significant driver behind youth participation in violence and terrorism has been the "systematic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature by its persistent internal circulation, often disguised as historical or political commentary". It plays a critical role in "misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence" against India, the order said. It said this literature would deeply

SC likely to hear plea seeking restoration of statehood to J-K on August 8

The Supreme Court is likely to hear on August 8 a plea seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan mentioned the matter on Tuesday before a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran. "The date (on SC website) shows as August 8. Let it not be deleted," Sankaranarayanan submitted. The CJI accepted the request. Tuesday marks the sixth anniversary of the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, even as it ordered that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024 and its statehood be restored "at the earliest". Last year, a plea was filed in the top court seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months. The application was filed by Zaho

OGW held with 3 pistols in Jammu; search operation underway in Kathua

An Over Ground Worker (OGW) of terrorists was arrested along with three pistols here, while a fresh search operation was launched following movement of two suspected persons in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday. Police intercepted a Srinagar-bound private car at TCP Nagrota near here late Tuesday night, leading to the recovery of three pistols of different makes, including Chinese and Turkey and some ammunition, the officials said. They said the driver of the vehicle, Azan Hamid of Srinagar, was arrested and is being questioned for his terror links. The arms and ammunition were believed to have been smuggled from across the border and was being transported to Kashmir, the officials said. More arrests and recovery are expected in the case, they said. The officials said security forces launched a search operation in Chabba chak, Rampur and adjoining areas in Rajbagh sector of Kathua district following information about movement of two suspected person

Another batch of over 1,400 pilgrims leaves from Jammu for Amarnath Yatra

The 27th batch of 1490 pilgrims left Jammu on Monday for the twin base camps of 3, 880-meter-high cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security arrangements. More than 3.86 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at 'ice lingum' of Lord Shiva at the cave shrine since the 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the valley. The 27th batch of pilgrims, which included 1,262 men, 186 women, 42 sadhus and sadhvis, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 61 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir between 3:25 am and 3.57 am escorted by CRPF and police personnel, officials said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 327 pilgrims in 16 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 1,163 pilgrims in 45 vehicles, who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district, they said. With this, a total of 14,27,85 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base ca

22nd batch of pilgrims leave from Jammu base camp for Amarnath Yatra

A fresh batch of 3,500 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Thursday to offer prayers at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the Anantnag district, officials said. The 22nd batch of pilgrims, comprising 2,704 men, 675 women, 12 children and 109 sadhus and sadhvis, left the base camp in two convoys of 140 vehicles for Pahalgam and Baltal under tight security. While 2,668 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in a convoy of 95 vehicles, 832 pilgrims left in a convoy of 45 vehicles via the Baltal route. With this, 1,33,878 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for Kashmir since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Since the 38-day annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on July 3, over 3.40 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high shrine housing a naturally formed ice shivlingam. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine. The pilgrimage will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

Amarnath Yatra: Fresh batch of over 3,700 pilgrims leaves from Jammu

A fresh batch of over 3,700 pilgrims left Jammu on Monday for the twin base camps of the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security arrangements, officials said. So far, over 3 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the ice lingam of Lord Shiva at the 3,880-metre-high shrine since the yatra began on July 3. Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the batch of 3,791 pilgrims -- 3,067 men, 522 women, nine children, 192 sadhus and sadhvis, and a transgender -- left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 148 vehicles between 3.33 am and 4.06 am, they said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 1,208 pilgrims in 52 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 2,583 pilgrims in 96 vehicles, who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said. According to data, the number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has been declining over the last few

Amarnath Yatra: Over 8,600 pilgrims leave Jammu base camp in sixth batch

Amid a multi-tier security cover, more than 8,600 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu early Monday to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in the Himalayas, officials said. More than 70,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine located at a height of 3,880 metres since the start of the 38-day yatra, which commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district on July 3. The sixth batch of 8,605 pilgrims 6,486 men, 1,826 women, 42 children, and 251 sadhus and sadhvis left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 372 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements at 3.30 am and 4.25 am, the officials said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 3,486 pilgrims in 166 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 5,119 pilgrims in 206 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra from the 48-km traditional Pahalgam .

Second batch of over 5,200 pilgrims leave for Amarnath yatra from Jammu

Amid tight security, the second batch of more than 5,200 pilgrims left the base camp here on Thursday for the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine commenced on Thursday via the twin tracks the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9. The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 168 vehicles escorted by security police and central paramilitary forces, they said. With this, the number of pilgrims who have left for the shrine from the Jammu base camp has reached 11,138, officials said. The second batch of pilgrims includes 4,074 men, 786 women, and 19 children. A group of pilgrims on way to the shrine said they were not deterred by the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead. "We do not fear terrorists or Pakistan, which has engineered attacks

J&K L-G flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims numbering over 5,880 amid multi-tier security cover, marking the beginning of this year's pilgrimage from here. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high shrine will commence on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. A batch of 5,892 pilgrims, including 1,115 women, 31 children and 16 transgenders left the base camp in the first batch at 4.30 am to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said. The yatra will conclude on August 9. More than 3.31 lakh devotees have registered so far for this year's Amarnath Yatra, officials said. The L-G performed pooja soon after his arrival at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp and later flagged off the yatra for the twin base camps in Kashmir, officials said. Sinha was flanked