Srinagar, Apr 10: In a major success against drug trafficking, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested fourteen drug peddlers and recovered huge quantity of narcotic substances in multiple operations across the valley. Besides, a medical shop was sealed for violating mandatory requirements for sale of schedule H medicines in Kulgam.

In a statement issued, police said that in Anantnag, acting on a specific input, a raid was conducted at the residential house of Fayaz Ahmad Dar son of Mohd Jabbar Dar resident of Naina Gund Baba Khalil, Sangam after obtaining a search warrant from the Hon’ble Court. During the search, 3 kg 99 grams of charas powder-like substance was recovered. The accused Fayaz Ahmad Dar and his son Arbaz Ahmad Dar were arrested on the spot. In another operation, a police party from PP Sangam during naka checking at Naibasti Marhama intercepted a Hyundai i20 (JK13J-0803). Two individuals, Shahzada Suvaid son of Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Waris-ul-Islam son of Nazir Ahmad Shah, both residents of Batagund Tral, were found in possession of 488 grams of charas-like substance. Further, Police party from Police Station Anantnag during naka checking at Anantnag bypass near the overhead Danter bridge, intercepted Sajad Ahmad Shah son of Gh Rasool Shah resident of Hakhoora Badazgaam. During search, charas-like substance in the form of 07 sticks weighing 106 grams and powder weighing 88 grams was recovered.

Similarly in Kulgam, during naka checking at Furrah New Bypass, a police party from Police Post Mir Bazar apprehended a suspicious person identified as Danish Khurshid son of Khurshid Ahmad Nath resident of Redwani, Qoimoh Kulgam. During search, 110 grams of charas powder-like substance, 2 grams of heroin-like substance, and cash amounting to ₹22,000 were recovered. In another action, a police party from Police Post Mir Bazar during naka checking at Akhran apprehended a suspicious individual identified as Faruk Ali son of Sukur Ali resident of Jiggi No. 256, Block C, JJ Colony Bawana, North-West Delhi. During search, 63.31 grams of charas powder-like substance and 2.03 grams of heroin-like substance were recovered from his possession. In a separate case, acting on credible prior information, a police party from Police Station Qazigund at Kurigam Railway Bridge, arrested a drug peddler identified as identified as Abdul Qayoom Shah son of Mohd Subhan Shah resident of Shastargam, Dooru Anantnag. During search, 109 grams of charas concealed in corn husk was recovered. Accordingly, FIR No. 71/2026 was registered at P/S Qazigund. During further investigation, backward linkages were established. After obtaining the necessary warrant, police conducted searches in Sirhama, Anantnag, leading to the identification and involvement of Mohd Iqbal Rather son of Sanullah Rather resident of Sirhama Camp Colony, Anantnag and Mukhtar Ahmad Wagay son of Mohd Sultan Wagay resident of Wopzan, Hearpora, Anantnag. During search, 1.212 Kgs of charas was recovered, thereby exposing the supply chain involved in the narcotics network.

In Pulwama, a police party of Police Post Rahmoo, apprehended a suspicious individual identified as Ab Hameed Thoker son of Gh Ahmad Thoker resident of Thokerpora, who was carrying a nylon bag. During search, 6 kgs of semi crushed cannabis powder was recovered.

In Awantipora, a police team at a checkpoint established at Padgampora near Railway Station Awantipora, arrested two drug peddlers identified as Faizan Yousuf Ganie son of Mohd Yousuf Ganie, resident of Koil, Pulwama and Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi son of Bashir Ahmad Sofi, resident of Washbugh, Pulwama. During search, approximately 29 grams of a heroin-like substance was recovered from their possession.

Meanwhile in Sopore, a police team during patrolling at Brath Crossing, a suspicious individual was intercepted and apprehended. During search, Codeine Phosphate bottles and heroin-like substance were recovered from his possession. He has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Mir @ Jana son of Mohammad Sumadar Mir resident of Arampora Sopore.

Accordingly, cases under relevant sections of law have been registered at respective police stations and investigations are underway to ascertain the source and wider linkages involved, the statement said.

In a separate action, an extensive joint drive was conducted by Police Station Qaimoh in coordination with the Drug Department to check the sale of drugs, with particular focus on Schedule H medicines, by medical shops in the Qaimoh area. During the inspection, several medical shops were found violating prescribed norms, especially regarding maintenance of mandatory records and regulatory compliance. Accordingly, multiple establishments have been recommended for suspension of their licenses. Additionally, RH Medical Store was sealed on the spot for violating mandatory requirements for sale of Schedule H medicines, including failure to maintain proper records as per norms.

J&K Police reiterate their zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and reaffirm their commitment to sustained enforcement to safeguard youth and society from the menace of drugs, statement added.

Jammu, Apr 10: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged significant spatio-temporal changes in land use and water cover of the iconic Dal lake, pointing to a shrinkage of the water body from 15.40 square kilometres in 2007 to 12.91 square kilometres in 2020, registering a decline of 10.15 per cent in 13 years.

The CAG recommended a robust lake management policy to ensure effective functioning and upgrade of sewage treatment plants (STPs) to ensure proper treatment of sewage and solid waste entering the lake.

“It may be seen from data that during 2007-2020, there was a decrease from 15.40 to 12.91 square kilometres (10.15 per cent) in the water body with (respect to) submerged vegetation and open water of the lake, while there was increase in other land uses such as floating vegetation from 5.262 to 6.796 square kilometres (6.23 per cent), crop land and plantation from 2.29 to 2.85 square kilometres (2.27 per cent), and built-up from 0.743 to 1.025 square kilometres (1.15 per cent),” the report said.

The CAG report on conservation and management of lakes in the Union Territory for the year ended March 31, 2024, said there was a decrease in vacant land with or without vegetation from 0.40 to 0.36 square kilometres (0.17 per cent) due to dredging of some acquired land. The decrease in open water area was at the cost of other land use changes.

The CAG said the shifting land use pattern reflects growing pressure on the lake ecosystem, with shrinking open water and expanding human-induced activities altering its ecological balance.

The CAG observed that no concrete measures were taken by the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LC&MA) to regulate land use, nor were reasons for such changes adequately analysed.

Audit findings attributed the deterioration to non-acquisition of land from Dal lake dwellers, malfunctioning STPs, failure to arrest pollution inflows, improper de-weeding, and weak monitoring.

As a result, the inflow of nutrients increased, leading to excessive weed growth and further shrinkage of the lake’s open water area, the report said, adding that encroachments in areas such as Mir Behri, Lati Mohalla and Nandapora contributed to expansion of floating gardens and habitation.

The audit also flagged serious deficiencies in the implementation of conservation programmes under the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) and the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme (PMRP).

“Key activities such as installation and upgradation of STPs, solid waste management, sewer networking, relocation of houseboats and hotels, catchment management, and rehabilitation of Dal dwellers were either delayed or inadequately executed,” the report stated.

Despite an expenditure of more than Rs 45 crore on STPs, the audit found that sewage was not treated as per prescribed standards, resulting in continued deterioration of water quality. “Untreated waste from households, houseboats and hotels continued to flow into the lake due to incomplete sewer networks and delays in connecting households and houseboats to treatment systems.”

The report further highlighted underutilisation of funds, ranging between Rs 48.63 crore and Rs 280.68 crore during 2017-22, and pointed to delays caused by stalled board meetings, lack of project management consultants, and failure to prepare detailed project reports for pending works.

Efforts to relocate Dal dwellers and houseboats also fell short, with only a fraction of targeted land and structures acquired and no significant dredging carried out on acquired land. Similarly, shifting of hotels and establishment of effective surveillance mechanisms remained incomplete, it added.

The CAG noted that catchment management works were inadequate, with only four out of 15 identified micro-watersheds taken up, also flagging shortcomings in structural and vegetative measures, training programmes and monitoring systems.

Describing the lake as the “liquid heart” of Srinagar, located at an altitude of 1,583 metres, the audit warned that continued delays and inadequate conservation efforts have hindered restoration of its water expanse and ecological health.

The CAG recommended periodic monitoring of water spread, a robust lake management policy, effective functioning of STPs, improved sewage and solid waste treatment, and expedited implementation of key conservation measures.

It also called for public awareness campaigns to curb unauthorised construction and better monitoring of nutrient inflows into the lake.

The audit said unless systemic gaps in planning, execution and monitoring are addressed, restoration of Dal lake’s shrinking water body would remain a challenge.

Srinagar, Apr 10: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday expressed relief over de-escalation of tensions in West Asia and called for lasting peace across the world.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Dr Farooq said, “Thank God the war has stopped. I hope it remains stopped in the future as well, peace prevails in the world and we all benefit from it.”

Reacting to discussions around Pakistan’s mediation and calls for a Nobel Prize, he said, “I don’t see it. One works for Nobel Prize, one works for humanity. Those who demand a Nobel Prize, unfortunate. There is a better prize, which is the cause of humanity.”

Emphasizing the human cost of conflict, he added, “It is humanity that is suffering and it is humanity that must be saved.” (KNC)

Jammu, Apr 09:Inadequacies in institutional arrangements for the discharge of environmental functions related to lakes, lack of cross-sectoral institutional convergence, monitoring and evaluation in the Union Territory are due to the absence of a Centralised Development and Regulatory Authority and specific legal statute or Act for conservation and management of lakes in J&K.

Although several legislations enacted for protection of environment which included provision for conservation and management of lakes, no authority with regulatory backing was established to restore, preserve and protect lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, observed the performance audit of “conservation and management of lakes in J&K” by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

A draft bill was prepared in April 2000 by J&K Lakes Conservation and Management Authority to establish a “Development and Regulatory Authority for Conservation and Management of Lakes.”

Due to the indifferent approach of the Government of J&K, the proposed legislation could not be approved as of March 2022 despite lapse of over 22 years since preparation of bill, pointed out the report of the Comptroller and the Auditor General of India on “Conservation and management of lakes in J&K” for the period ended March 2022.

“Given the absence of a lake specific Centralised Development and Regulatory Authority and specific legal statute or Act, there were diffused functions across various institutions, inadequacies in institutional arrangements for discharge of environmental functions related to lakes, lack of cross-sectoral institutional convergence, monitoring or evaluation and absence of lake generic management activities related to conservation of lakes,” the audit mentioned.

Flagging lack of institutional arrangements for discharge of environmental functions related to lakes, the audit noted with concern that the departments and authorities had fragmented mandate and responsibilities and had failed to fully comply with the entrusted mandate.

Nine institutions, the report mentioned, were assigned different functions related to environmental issues including those related to lakes.

Out of these nine institutions, six were falling under the administrative control of the Forest department which had a major role in discharging functions relating to conservation and management of lakes. Audit noticed inadequacies in discharge of specific functions by these institutions as well.

The Government of J&K assigned the Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department (EE&RSD) in October 1989 to conduct a detailed survey of lakes, study their physical, chemical and biological dynamics and on the basis of the data so collected, prepare detailed plans for development and monitoring of each lake.

However, EE&RSD had not carried out a detailed survey of lakes due to which physical, chemical and biological dynamics of lakes were not available for preparing development plans for these lakes. Plans were prepared by the respective departments or Authorities (to which these lakes were transferred) only in respect of six lakes i.e., Dal, Wular, Hokersar, Surinsar, Mansar and Manasbal, the audit pointed out.

EE&RSD in its reply to CAG, in February 2021, stated that it was deficient in technical manpower such as environmental and hydrological engineers, ecologist, limnologists, biologists, remote sensing and GIS specialist, although proposals for requirement of manpower resources were submitted to the Forest Department time and again (latest in August 2019).

EE&RSD further stated that they did not have a laboratory and technical wing for devising strategy for planned development and maintenance of lakes.

“The fact remained that J&K Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing Department had failed to carry out a detailed survey of 697 lakes and hence physical, chemical and biological dynamics of lakes were not available for preparing development plans for these lakes,” the CAG observed.

Censuring the functioning of the J&K Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), the report mentioned that no comprehensive conservation and management programme or plan was prepared for 255 lakes falling under its (PCCF) jurisdiction, although Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) for other forest management works were prepared and executed.

Out of 255 lakes under the jurisdiction of PCCF, 441.05 hectares of area of 178 lakes had decreased or disappeared (including five test-checked lakes by audit with an area of 121.12 hectares).

The decreased area included an area of 80 disappeared lakes which had an area of 217.85 hectares (including one lake test-checked by audit with an area of 90.96 hectares).

Audit pointed out that the Divisional Forest Officers of Lidder, Kulgam, Mahore and Bhaderwah divisions in their replies in February 2021 stated that the Forest Department did not have clear responsibility for conservation and management of lakes and that due to lack of technical and scientific manpower and laboratory, the conservation and management of lakes could not be carried out.

“The fact remains that the 255 Lakes were under the jurisdiction of PCCF and no comprehensive conservation and management programme had been formulated for conservation of these lakes,” the CAG report noted.

Similarly, in the case of the Wildlife Protection Department (WPD), the audit mentioned that there was no comprehensive conservation and management programme or plans for 39 lakes under its (WPD’s) jurisdiction.

Although APOs prepared and executed for management and habitat improvement of wildlife in protected areas included activity plans in respect of lakes, the works executed as per APOs were not based on thorough survey and did not address the root causes of degradation of lakes, it was noted.

As a result, there was a decrease of 156.78 hectares in 20 lakes (which included four lakes test-checked by audit) having an area of 132.76 hectares i.e., 85 percent of total area of these lakes.

Audit, however, observed that WPD had carried out lake management activity plans such as survey, demarcation, desilting, de-weeding and plugging of breaches in respect of three lakes such as Hokersar, Surinsar and Mansar.

“WPD, in October 2022, stated that as 53 high altitude lakes were free from human pressures, they do not require any kind of intervention, management or restoration. The reply does not address the fact that all the lakes in J&K are high altitude lakes as per the National Wetland Atlas. Also, the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) do not prescribe that conservation and management is not needed for high altitude lakes,” the CAG report stated censuring WPD.

Further, it pointed out, “Although lakes in protected areas are free from anthropogenic pressures, they may be facing problems of siltation and issues relating to water sources. As such, they also require conservation and management efforts.”

In a telling example of bureaucratic inertia, a simple public grievance has remained unresolved at Khoja Bagh area of Baramulla district for the last more than five months.

A resident of Khoja Bagh Baramulla last year submitted a grievance in the Power Development Department (PDD) requesting the authorities to relocate the defunct transformer installed outside his house.

Since then, the complainant is being forced to run from the pillar to post while the issue remain unresolved despite the officials issuing around five communications from one chair to another.

The aggrieved resident approached the Power Development Department (PDD), seeking removal or relocation of the unused transformer to facilitate the construction of a gate for entry and exit to his residence.

“But despite repeated follow ups, the department is yet to shift the defunct transformer,” said Tariq Ahmad, the complainant. The transformer was installed outside his house when the PDD department was installing wired-electricity cables in the residential area. “The transformer outside my house was not made functional following which I requested the department, including the ground staff to shift it from the spot,” he said.

From December 2025 to February 2026, the officials in Kashmir Power Development Corporation (KPDCL) in Baramulla and Sopore have issued five communications regarding the issue. “The officers passed the buck and only issued communication to other officers all these months,” he said. On December 16 of 2025, the Executive Engineer Electric Division Baramulla wrote to the Superintending Engineer  KPDCL circle Sopore stating that a defunct 63kv transformer was lying at the gate space of the consumer at Khoja Bagh. “The said DT has remained non-functional since its inception and is now obstructing the consumer, who intends to construct a gate for his premises at the same location,” the official communication reads. “In view of the above circumstances, permission is solicited for handover of the said defunct 63KVA DT at the divisional stores for proper accounting and disposal, as per norms,” it reads. In wake of this, the executive engineer electric KPDCL division Baramulla on January 7 of 2026 was asked to furnish the handover and takeover of the DT in the first instance. “I am directed to request you to furnish the handover and takeover of the DT,” reads an official communication issued by technical officer of Superintending Engineer KPDCL circle Sopore.

After a passage of one month, another communication was issued on February 2 of 20926, from office of the executive engineer to Superintending Engineer KPDCL, circle Sopore. “It is submitted that no handover take over has been affected so far in respect of the defunct 63KV Distribution Transformer (DT) in question. The said DT has been lying defunct for the past five years. As such permission is requested for lifting and shifting of the same to the divisional stores for further necessary action, as per rules,” the official communication reads. A week later another official communication was submitted to the Superintending Engineer (SE) Projects north circle where in SE Soproe circle stated that the said DT has not been taken over by the O and M division concerned from the projects.

“Hence this infra does not belong to distribution KPDCL. This office is not in position to re-locate or dismantling of the said DT as it not owned by this wing, and does not form part of its inventory/assets,” reads a communication signed by SE KPDCL circle Sopore.

After a passage of six days, another communication was issued by SE KPDCL project circle north directing the Executive engineer, project division Baramulla to coordinate with the O&M division Bramulla with regard to the matter. “A detailed report should be submitted to this office at the earliest,” the document reads.