SRINAGAR: Advising people to go for solar energy which is cheap, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah said that big industrial houses are hesitating to come to Jammu and Kashmir because of shortage of power.

He said a 500 MW solar power station will be constructed at Leh which can be used in the State. People should take advantage of subsidy and other benefits available from the Centre to adopt solar energy as alternative to power in their day-to-day life, Dr Abdulllah said.

NH closed, freak weather till Dec 17

Srinagar, Dec 14: Heavy snowfall in parts of Kashmir and along the Jammu-Srinagar National highway has closed the highway for traffic and disrupted the air-traffic to Kashmir valley today. Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Munir Ahmad Khan, told Excelsior that heavy snowfall has forced them to close the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic. He said that it was snowing heavily in Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas forcing the closure of the National Highway, the life line for Kashmir valley.

Field visits indicate factories contributing to pollution

State Government is formulating comprehensive policy to check adverse impact of cement factories on the environment in both regions of the State. The policy will be based on the outcome of fields visits recently conducted by the experts. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that 7-member Committee headed by Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Shantmanu, which was constituted for in-depth and exclusive study of all the cement factories established in the State to assess the environmental pollution caused by these factories, is in the final stage of making detailed recommendations to the Committee on Environment of the State Legislature.

POONCH: In order to maintain sustainable sanitation in Poonch and other towns, District Development Commissioner, Poonch, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, launched a mass campaign from Poonch town today.

Among others Superintendent of Police Shamsher Hussian, ADDC, Syed Anwar Hussain Shah, Superintendent District Hospital Dr.Mohammad Niaz and other senior officers of District Administration, prominent citizens including K.K.Kapoor, Dr.Subash Raina, Advocate Iftekhar Hussain Bazmi participated with dedication in cleanliness drive.

The District Magistrate today imposed ban on the extraction of minor minerals from the rivers for a period of two months.

NEW DELHI, Dec 2: India’s forests are not only facing threat from mining, they are also being ravaged due to illegal human encroachment.

Jammu & Kashmir was conferred with a special award in "Excellence in Regenerating Tourism" for the year 2012 by well-known Conde Nast Traveller Magazine at a glittering ceremony here.

JAMMU: Garden Glory, a human empowerment Cooperative Ltd will train the farmers of the state in the cultivation of various floriculture crops, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plants by providing latest research know how to them for promotion of floriculture industry to enhance their social economic growth and employment.

This was stated in a meeting of Garden Glory here today. It said Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Member Secretary, Dr Som Dutt Tyagi is visiting Jammu soon to give final shape to ICAR schemes to benefit the farmers of the state.

JAMMU: The Forest Department has planted 16.43 lakh trees and raised 17.46 lakh plants in its nurseries under Compensatory Aforestation Management Planning Authority (CAMPA) in six divisions of Chenab Forest Circle during the period 2010-11 till March 2012, involving a cost of Rs 6.44 crore.

For the year 2012-13 the department has set a target of planting 8.31 lakh trees and to raise 10.47 lakh in its nurseries established across the Forest Circle spread over to three districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar.

JAMMU: Expressing serious concern on the growing environmental pollution due to mushrooming growth of stone crushers, brick klins and cement plant in various areas of the State, the Chairman, Envir