3 flights cancelled, train traffic disrupted

JAMMU/srinagar: While the day temperature in Jammu has broken about 30 years old record by remaining nearly 11 degree Celsius below normal today, the night temperature in the winter capital has further depleted to 4.3 degree Celsius from 6 degree Celsius, just in past 24 hours whereas, the cold wave conditions and fog continued to play havoc with the people in the State and other parts of northern region for the last about one week.

One dies of cold; train, air traffic remain hit

JAMMU: While cold wave continued to grip entire State including Kashmir valley and plain areas of Jammu region, Drass township in Kargil district recorded the lowest temperature of -27 degree celsius whereas, night temperature in Jammu has further receded to 5.7 degree celsius as Solar radiations have depleted to nearly 80 percent in the winter capital. Dense fog and mist continued to play havoc with the normal life of the people, causing suspension of some flights and disruption in the smooth movement of trains and vehicular traffic.

Flight cancelled, train traffic remains hit

SRINAGAR/ JAMMU: There was no respite from intense cold and freezing temperature as the mercury plummeted further below the freezing point across the Kashmir today. The freezing temperature coupled with erratic power cuts has made the life difficult for the people in the Valley. Fringes of the world famous Dal Lake were frozen for the third consecutive day today, forcing the ‘Shikara’ owners to break the ice with their oars for rowing their Shikaras (boats). Some of the water taps were also frozen during the preceding night leading to temporary water crisis.

Kashmir Valley continues to reel under intense cold wave even as fringes of Dal Lake freeze for the first time this winter

North India was gripped by bone chilling cold on Thursday as temperatures nosedived across the region claiming nine more lives. Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 12.7 degrees Celsius, eight less than normal, and a minimum of 4.4 degrees Celsius, three less than the usual. The cold wave continued unabated in Uttar Pradesh as nine more persons succumbed to the chill in the State, raising the death toll this winter to 116.

‘State not fully prepared to meet disasters’

With scientists across the globe warning of massive earthquakes of magnitude 8.5 in the Himalayas, the hilly Jammu and Kashmir, which lies in seismic zone IV and V, may witness the worst ever tremors that could cause “immeasurable destruction” owing to “faulty planning” and “ill-preparedness” on part of the state government. Worried over the state government’s “laid-back approach on latent but imminent danger”, experts say the authorities should do holistic planning instead of getting into a fire-fighting mode during a disaster.

The state government has decided to dedicate the year 2013 to its daughters as the gap between male-female ratio continues to be wide in some districtsa such as Jammu, Samba and Kathua even though

Night soil of over 60 thousand latrines is disposed into open drains without any sewage treatment in Jammu and Kashmir, according to figures released by state's Directorate of Census Operation.

The Centre had announced 17 years ago that people of Kashmir would be provided a cheap and easy mode of transport to Jammu, but the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is still nowhere near compl

The cold wave was relentless in most parts of North India on Monday, claiming six more lives to take the death toll in the past three days to eleven.

The cold wave tightened its grip over most parts of North India on Monday claiming six more lives in the region, which wore a blanket of fog in the morning.

Five more persons were killed in Uttar Pradesh, taking the toll during the past two days to 10 in the State, while a beggar died in Samba district of Jammu. The fog reduced visibility in the national Capital. The minimum temperature was 7.7 degrees Celsius, said the weatherman, forecasting a foggy Tuesday morning. The maximum was 19.1 degrees, three notches below normal.