More than two years after the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency, the Municipal Council Shopian (MCS) continues to broadcast COVID-19 safety advisories through loudspeakers mounted on its garbage collection vehicles every morning.

The vehicles, which travel through residential areas to collect waste, play recorded COVID-19 awareness jingles to announce their arrival. The messages urge people to maintain physical distancing, wear masks and follow other COVID-19-appropriate behaviour—advisories that date back to the height of the pandemic.

Residents say the announcements have outlived their purpose and are now causing inconvenience because of their high volume.

“The loudspeakers are played at a very high volume every morning. It is disturbing, especially for elderly people, students and those working from home,” said Abid Hussain, a resident of Hergam in Shopian.

“The sound is so loud that it becomes irritating. The municipal council should either stop these outdated announcements or replace them with messages that are relevant today,” he said.

Another resident said the announcements frequently interrupted his work.

“I attend online meetings from home in the morning. Whenever the garbage vehicle passes through our locality, I have to pause my meeting because the announcement is too loud,” he said.

Several residents said they were not opposed to public awareness campaigns but questioned the continued use of COVID-19 messages years after the global health emergency ended.

“The vehicles can simply announce that garbage is being collected or educate people about waste segregation and cleanliness. There is no need to keep repeating COVID-19 messages,” said another resident.

The World Health Organisation declared in May 2023 that COVID-19 no longer constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, marking the end of the highest level of global health alert after more than three years of the pandemic.

Residents urged the Municipal Council Shopian to review the public announcement system and replace the outdated recordings with messages promoting sanitation, proper waste disposal and civic awareness.

Officials of the Municipal Council Shopian could not be reached for comment.

The Jammu & Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) has welcomed the government order regarding the placement of Junior Engineers (Electrical) as In-charge Assistant Engineers (Electrical), describing it as another major milestone in streamlining the Human Resource Management of the Power Development Department.

In a statement, Er. Pirzada Hidayatullah, General Secretary, JKEEGA, expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, and Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department, Ashwani Kumar, for their continued commitment towards resolving long-pending career progression issues of power engineers.

He stated that the promotion of Junior Engineers to the rank of Assistant Engineers will significantly boost the morale of engineers who have been awaiting career advancement for years.

He also appreciated the efforts of Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, and Additional Secretary (HRM), JKPDD, Zakir Hussain Wani, for expediting the promotion process and ensuring timely issuance of the orders.

“The promotion of Junior Engineers as Assistant Engineers comes at a crucial time when the power sector is witnessing major infrastructure expansion and reforms. Filling these key field-level engineering positions will strengthen technical supervision, improve execution of CAPEX and maintenance works, enhance reliability of the power network, and ensure better consumer service delivery across Jammu and Kashmir,” said Er. Pirzada.

He further observed that Assistant Engineers constitute the backbone of the Power Development Department, being directly responsible for operation and maintenance of electrical infrastructure, implementation of development works, and ensuring uninterrupted power supply. Their timely placement will improve administrative efficiency and accelerate ongoing reforms in the sector.

JKEEGA reaffirmed its commitment to working constructively with the Government for addressing all pending Human Resource issues of power engineers while ensuring reliable, quality, and round-the-clock power supply to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The Association once again conveyed its sincere appreciation to the Government, particularly the Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department, for prioritising merit-based career progression and strengthening the engineering cadre of the department.

Srinagar Jul 24: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to the son of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, who was killed in the Anantnag terror attack, offering sincere condolences and assuring the bereaved family that the nation stands firmly with them.

During the telephonic conversation, Shah told the family that their sacrifices would never be forgotten and would always be remembered.

He acknowledged that this was the second sacrifice the family had made for the nation, stating that while such losses could never be compensated, the government would take ultimate care of them.

The Home Minister also informed the family that he would be visiting Kashmir and would personally meet them. The phone call was facilitated by Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma.

Sharma had gone to offer condolences to family. Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Sharma said Shah had asked him to take care of the family and had assured all possible help.

“He will meet the family during his Kashmir visit,” LOP Sharma said adding ultimate care of family will be taken in all respects.

Sharma was accompanied by BJP General Secretary Muhammad Anwar Khan, BJP Monitory Morcha General Secretary Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, and others.

The conversation was held three hours after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accompanied by Director General of Police NalinPrabhat, and other senior police officers, visited the residence of the slain head constable in Budgam to express solidarity with the family.

Qureshi, a resident of Budgam serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police and attached to the Special Operations Group, was shot dead at close range by terrorists in Anantnag’s Lal Chowk market area on Wednesday while on AmarnathYatra duty.

He is survived by his mother, wife, and three children.

He had joined the police force in place of his father, a constable who died in an accident on the Srinagar-Jammu highway nearly three decades ago.

Following the attack, security forces launched an extensive crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir.

 The residential houses of two active Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists — Adil Thokar of Guri in Anantnag and Haroon Rashid Ganaie of Bijbehara — were demolished overnight. Nearly 2800 persons were detained for questioning, with intensified joint frisking, extra checkpoints, and enhanced surveillance continuing across the Valley.

Srinagar, July 24: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today presided over the curtain raiser for the Ist International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) at the Royal Springs Golf Course here, describing the forthcoming festival as a landmark initiative to revive Jammu and Kashmir’s historic association with cinema and establish J&K as a preferred destination for filmmaking.

The launch event was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, eminent filmmaker and Padma Shri awardee Muzaffar Ali, renowned filmmaker and writer Imtiaz Ali, filmmaker Sajid Ali, Director Information Shreya Singhal, Secretary in Information Department, Munir ul Islam, Secretary Royal Springs Golf Course Haris Ahmad Handoo, Joint Director Information Shahnawaz Bukhari, senior government officers and members of the film fraternity.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the festival marks the beginning of a renewed partnership between Jammu and Kashmir and the film industry, recalling a time when Kashmir was an integral part of Indian cinema.

“There was a time when filmmaking in Bollywood and Kashmir was synonymous. No film was considered complete unless it had at least one sequence shot in the Valley. Even if an entire film was not shot here, at least one memorable song was,” he said.

Highlighting the vision behind IFFJK, Omar Abdullah said the festival seeks to rebuild that historic bond while creating new opportunities for local talent, strengthening the creative economy and showcasing Jammu and Kashmir to audiences across the world. “Our loss has been many other countries’ gain. Had Kashmir remained consistently open for filmmaking, many productions that went elsewhere would have continued to come here. Today, we stand at the cusp of rebuilding that relationship,” he said.

The Chief Minister stressed that the Government is working to create a filmmaker-friendly ecosystem by simplifying procedures, reducing production costs and developing a skilled local workforce to support film production.

“We need to make it easier for filmmakers to come here, cheaper for them to shoot here, and ensure that our young people are equipped with the skills required to support filmmaking activities,” he said, adding that the necessary groundwork has already begun.

Referring to filmmaker Muzaffar Ali’s long-awaited project Zooni, Omar Abdullah expressed happiness that the unfinished work had now been completed by Muzaffar Ali’s son. Originally conceived in the late 1980s with Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia in lead roles, he said the film would present Kashmir in a way not seen over the past four decades.

“If what has been completed carries even a fraction of the vision with which it was originally conceived, it will showcase Kashmir in a way it has not been presented for decades. Screening it at a Film Festival in Kashmir would elevate the festival to an entirely different level,” he said.

Expressing confidence that IFFJK would become a permanent fixture on the global film calendar, the Chief Minister said the Government envisions it evolving into an internationally recognised film festival with parallel screening in Jammu and Gulmarg.

“This is the first, but certainly not the last. Great film festivals acquire an identity and brand of their own. We hope that, in the years ahead, the International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir will stand alongside the finest festivals in the country and eventually earn recognition among the best in the world,” he said.

The Chief Minister also welcomed the decision to keep Srinagar Airport operational during the festival period, saying it had removed a major logistical concern and would ensure smooth participation by filmmakers, artists and guests from across the country and abroad.

He thanked Muzaffar Ali, Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali for supporting the initiative and for their longstanding association with Jammu and Kashmir.

“Your presence here is encouraging not merely because of your words but because your actions over the years have demonstrated your deep association with Jammu and Kashmir. Your support gives this initiative tremendous strength, and we look forward to welcoming you all back for the festival in September,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo said that this curtain raiser ceremony is a historic occasion which reminds the great partnership of J&K with Bollywood. He added that this platform is a great occasion to establish the bond with Bollywood.

The Chief Secretary also said that J&K has a goldmine of talent and potential and we need to give platform like this to our budding filmmakers to showcase their talent.

Padma Shri awardee and noted film maker, Muzaffar Ali, while speaking on the occasion highlighted that Kashmir has special place in the Bollywood from the very beginning. He also remembered his association with the Kashmir while shooting for various remarkable films here.
In his address, renowned filmmaker and writer Imtiaz Ali said that Kashmiri youth are brightest as far as talent is concerned. He also remembered his association with Kashmir while shooting for various Bollywood blockbusters in the valley.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Director Information, Shreya Singhal said that this curtain raiser ceremony will set the centre stage for homecoming of cinema to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Director Information highlighted that this film festival aims to establish J&K as a prime film shooting destination in the country. She added that till date around 400 entries from over 25 countries in different formats have been received for screening during the festival and the entry for film submissions will close on 30th July, 2026.

During the event, the Chief Minister also unveiled the merchandise of the Film Festival.

Pertinently, the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), scheduled to be held from 7th to 10th September 2026, is envisioned as a premier platform celebrating cinema, culture and creativity while showcasing the region’s breathtaking landscapes, artistic heritage and emerging filmmaking ecosystem. The festival is expected to bring together filmmakers, artists, industry leaders and cinema enthusiasts from India and around the world, reaffirming Jammu and Kashmir’s place on the global cinematic map.