Baramulla, Sept 14: Based on his social service over the last two decades, a dental surgeon from Baramulla Dr. Itinderpal Singh has earned his recognition as a “first-aid man of Kashmir”, who has trained thousands of volunteers for disaster preparedness.

Dr. Itinderpal Singh has been at the forefront of disaster preparedness and rescue operations and trained thousands of volunteers across the country to respond to natural calamities.

His journey in disaster relief started some two decades ago when an earthquake left trails of destruction in the Uri area of Baramulla district in 2005.

His realisation about Kashmir’s vulnerability to disasters and the inspiration drawn from peace activist Nirmala Deshpande, pushed him to dedicate his life to training people in first aid, rescue, and rehabilitation.

“I have been part of almost every major disaster response since 2005. From the Kashmir earthquake and floods to the Nepal earthquake and Bihar floods I have been part of every relief and rescue operation,” he said.

Over the years he has trained over 30000 people across India including 10000 to 15000 in Kashmir alone. He has also worked with different international organizations including UNICEF, UNDP, and Save the Children besides representing India at a pre-hospital workshop in Riyadh.

His services have earned him recognition of India’s leading master trainers, not only in first aid but also in hospital emergency response.

His contributions have earned him multiple awards which include the State Award for Social Reform, felicitation by Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences on World Head Injury Day, and the Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Seva Medal for his relief work in Operation Sindoor.

“My biggest satisfaction is when someone calls me and says you trained us and we saved someone’s life. That makes all the sacrifices worthwhile,” he said.

He said that at times, he gave up his private dental practice to fully devote himself to disaster management.

“But disaster risks in Kashmir are evolving and require a more serious approach. The pattern of disasters has changed. In addition to earthquakes, now we see flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides as well. Every village must have a trained task force in first aid, search and rescue, camp arrangement, and early warning systems,” he said.

He said that time was right for people to get disaster-ready. “More awareness programmes are required at the grassroots level. Communities must know how to mitigate risks and act during emergencies. Government efforts must be complemented by citizen preparedness,” he said.

When asked about the response of youth in volunteer work, he said that Kashmir has no dearth of volunteers as young people are eager to learn.

“We conduct awareness drives in schools and colleges, after which interested students are enrolled for proper training at Civil Defence offices. The response has been overwhelming,” he said.

Srinagar, Sep 14: Janata Dal (United) Jammu & Kashmir President GM Shaheen, accompanied by the party’s executive team, visited Dak Bungalow Khanabal, Anantnag, where he met several delegations and local representatives, said a press release.

During the day-long programme, Shaheen listened to the grievances of the people on issues including unemployment, poor road infrastructure, power shortages, and lack of healthcare facilities.

He addressed some concerns on the spot and assured the people that JD(U) would be their voice at every platform.

Speaking to media persons after the interactions, Shaheen  said that JD(U) is committed to grassroots empowerment, youth welfare, and accountability in governance, calling upon the people to strengthen the party’s mission of development and social justice.

Srinagar, Sept 14: The fruit mandi in Shopian has remained closed for the second consecutive day owing to the non-availability of transport and steep fare hikes, leaving apple growers distressed at the peak of the harvesting season.

Growers said apple consignments worth nearly Rs 30 crore are stranded, with eight-tyre trucks carrying fruit not being allowed to ply on the Mughal Road, which has become a major bottleneck for transportation.

According to traders, thousands of apple crates are lying unsold and unattended at the mandi, while growers fear heavy financial losses if the situation is not resolved immediately.

“Transportation charges have gone up abnormally, and even then trucks are not being allowed. Our fruit is perishable, and every passing hour adds to the losses,” said one of the growers.

Srinagar, Sept 13: Despite the commissioning of a flyover last year, the Bemina Bypass stretch—one of Srinagar’s key traffic arteries linking hospitals, government offices and residential colonies to NH-44—continues to choke under daily traffic snarls, leaving commuters and patients stranded for long hours.

Locals said the road from Bemina Crossing (Tattoo Ground) to the NH-44 corridor carries a heavy load of traffic toward north and south Kashmir but remains too narrow to handle the volume. “Traffic jams have become routine. Even ambulances get stuck for half an hour at times, with little presence of traffic police on the ground,” said Irfan Ahmad, a commuter.

Though the Bemina Flyover was inaugurated in June 2024 to ease congestion at the junction, residents say it has made little difference, as the bottlenecks persist at ground level. The bigger concern, they point out, is the fate of the long-discussed four-laning project, reportedly under NABARD funding. “There’s no official sanction, DPR, or timeline. The matter was mentioned in the last Assembly session but nothing has moved on the ground,” a local resident said.

Commuters complain they spend 30–40 minutes stuck in the stretch daily, calling for urgent widening of the road and better traffic regulation. Meanwhile, Roads & Buildings officials were not immediately available for comment on the project’s status.

Residents have appealed to the administration to expedite four-laning, improve traffic management, and deploy more police personnel at Bemina Crossing to prevent the recurring gridlock. (KNO)