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• No flood threat in valley: I&FC

SRINAGAR: Respond immediately to distress calls if any, monitor the emergent situation on ground following incessant rains, gusty winds & hailstorm,  and activate control rooms for effective assessment & response, directed  Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri to  Deputy Commissioners & officers while chairing an emergency meeting, here today.

Div Com convened an emergency meeting in view of relentless rains to assess the overall situation and the damages caused to crops and structures by winds & hailstorm. Taking the cognizance of various reports of damage to crops in Shopian district by hailstorm, and other minor damages to structures by wind in other places, Div Com directed concerned Deputy Commissioners to immediately provide relief to the affected persons following proper guidelines.

At the outset, the Irrigation & Flood Control Department shared the data of water level in different water channels & tributaries of Jhelum and dispelled any imminent threat of flood in the valley. However, to address water logging issues in the city, Bidhuri instructed SMC for deployment & operation of dewatering pumps wherever required.

While reviewing the supply of essential services, he also directed CE KPDCL for immediate restoration of affected lines & reparation of transformers. He also reviewed availability of essentials including food grains, LPG and Oil in the valley for the convenience of the general public. To ensure safety of passengers, Div Com directed Traffic Police to issue advisory regarding traffic movement on hazardous or risky roads especially Gurez road, Mughal road, Sinthan Top, Razdan Top and other roads & passes so no one remains stranded.

Div Com also directed Health Department for smooth functioning of hospitals & other healthcare institutions to render uninterrupted medical services and treatment to patients. Meanwhile, Director IMD informed meeting of the gradual improvement from late mid-night to afternoon tomorrow. The meeting was attended by Commissioner SMC; Deputy Commissioners, SSPs, Directors of  IMD, Health, Tourism, FCS&CA, VC LCMA, ULB, officers of various departments including Agriculture, Horticulture, School Education, Traffic, Transport,  KPDCL, I&FC, PHE, PWD etc.

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JAMMU: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today held detailed interaction with prominent citizens of tribal community from different districts at Panchayat Bhavan, Jammu. The meeting was convened to get firsthand appraisal of issues faced by the Tribals from Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Kathua and other areas.

The tribal community leaders highlighted the pressing issues faced by them and sought intervention of the Minister for resolution. The Minister gave a patient hearing to the issues raised by the delegations and individuals and assured them that the same will be given due prominence for redressal. Choudhary Basharat Ali from Samba raised the issue of absence of lack of educational facilities for the tribal people. He also demanded provision for slaughter houses and mandis at district level for their livestock in order to get better market prices.

Choudhary Dawood from Udhampur raised the issue of water shortage in his area and demanded sustainable solution for water supply. He said the Gujjar basti lacks basic road facilities in his area that puts huge inconvenience to the people. Advocate Mehmood Rizvi raised the issue of improving educational facilities for tribals saying that we need to lay more stress on education.

Shamim Begum DDC Dansal, Jammu raised the issues pertaining to her constituency and submitted a memorandum of demands. Shama Akhter from Sidhra emphasised on the education and said that more efforts should be initiated towards improving access to education for upliftment of the people. She added that though the water issues have been solved in her areas but certain areas still remain uncovered.

Choudhary Sharief Hussain from Udhampur also raised certain developmental issues pertaining to his area. Mushtaq Ahmad khatana raised the issue of basic health facilities in the tribal areas. Razaq Choudhary from Jammu demanded full implementation of Forest Rights Act saying that most of the issues of tribals will be resolved. Similarly, other individuals also raised issues pertaining to their areas and demanded an early resolution.

The Minister, while listening to the issues, issued directions to the concerned officers to resolve these issues in a time bound manner. Rana assured the participants that the government is fully committed to the overall development of tribal population, prioritizing their welfare. He emphasized that the rights of tribals, as guaranteed under the Constitution, shall be enforced and protected.

Rana reaffirmed that improving the lives of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and other downtrodden sections of society is top priority of the government led by Omar Abdullah. He also sought details from the concerned officers about the landless families in the district and said the same should be submitted to the tribal department.

Regarding the easing of tribal movement, Rana said that the government will provide facility at all routes and ease the process for permission during migration. He said that the government is particular about the development of tribal routes and significant steps have been taken in this regard.

He said that UT CAPEX and district CAPEX budget will be finalised only after holding consultation with the tribal people so that aspirations and developmental needs of the tribal people are reflected. Rana said that Forest Rights Act will be implemented in totality while giving due prominence to grazing rights and community benefits.

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RAMBAN: In a remarkable journey of determination and entrepreneurship, Zubair Ahmed Drabu from Banihal has successfully established Drabu Spices Banihal (DBS), a business unit specializing in the   grinding, packaging and marketing of spices at Dooliga, Banihal. His venture has been formalized under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, implemented by the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing.

Zubair's story is one of resilience and perseverance. After losing his father in 2006 and mother in 2017, he single-handedly took on the responsibility of raising his two younger sisters, managing their education and marriage while simultaneously striving to build his own livelihood. Starting at a micro level in 2019, he engaged in the marketing of dry fruits and locally produced agro-based products, gradually shaping his entrepreneurial vision.

With training, financial assistance, logistical support, and continuous handholding from the department, Zubair Ahmed Drabu transformed his previously unorganized home-based business into a structured and thriving enterprise. He thanked the District Administration Ramban, particularly Deputy Commissioner Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary, for proactively implementing various employment and job-oriented schemes, helping young entrepreneurs like him overcome the challenges of unemployment.

He highlighted the immense support provided by the administration & Department of Horticulture (P&M)Ramban including specialized training at SKUAST-Jammu, participation in the International Exhibition at Pragati Maidan, Delhi, and a buyer-seller meet in Hyderabad, which he described as game changers that exposed him to new business opportunities and market linkages.

Under the PMFME scheme, the Department of Horticulture (P&M) facilitated a loan of ₹8.70 lakh from J&K Bank, with a 35% back-ended subsidy, enabling him to expand operations. Currently, DBS Spices has an impressive production capacity of 60-70 quintals of spices per month, creating employment opportunities for five local youths, thus contributing to the socio-economic growth of the region.

The initiative has garnered widespread appreciation from the local community, which hails Zubair Ahmed Drabu as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to explore self-employment avenues rather than relying solely on limited government job opportunities.

Looking ahead, Zubair aims to scale up his business across Jammu and Kashmir and other states, hoping for continued support from the district administration. He advised the youth to become employers rather than employees by tapping into local agro-based and high-demand market products, leveraging the opportunities provided under government schemes.

The journey of DBS Spices stands as a testament to the effectiveness of PMFME and similar government initiatives which are empowering youth, fostering local talent and promoting sustainable economic development in Ramban district.

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JAMMU: Principal Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, today chaired a review meeting regarding ‘Earthquake Risk Reduction and Management in Jammu and Kashmir’ here at Civil Secretariat.

Experts and faculty members from various institutes including University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, NIT Srinagar, IIT Jammu, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora and representatives of Administrative Departments like Housing & Urban Development, Health & Medical Education Department, School education, Rural development department, Divisional and District management authorities and SDRF attended the meeting.

The meeting had a comprehensive review of preparedness and mitigation efforts undertaken by different departments, district disaster management authorities and response forces. Since UT of  Jammu and Kashmir is located in a seismically active region and is susceptible to earthquakes. Most parts of the region fall under Seismic Zone V (very high damage risk zone) and  Seismic Zone IV (high damage risk zone).

“The government of J&K is committed to mitigate the damage and destruction caused by natural and man-made disasters through sustained and collective efforts by all stakeholders, maintained the Principal Secretary. The Principal Secretary took comprehensive review of preparedness measures for earthquake risk reduction in UT of J&K being adopted by various departments and Agencies.

During the meeting, experts from different institutions and universities shared their valuable insights into Earthquake hazards and its management in Jammu and Kashmir.  Besides, a detailed strategy was discussed and devised for Earthquake risk reduction which included multi stakeholder participation and proactive efforts.

The Principal Secretary asked all emergency support functionaries, line departments, Divisional & District Disaster Management Authorities, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services and other agencies to adopt a proactive approach regarding preparedness, mitigation, prompt and effective response to deal with any earthquake eventuality.

He asked the officers to focus on developing earthquake management plans in every department, district and organisation besides conduct of capacity building & trainings, regular mock drills in Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, Panchayats, Airports, Government & Semi-Government, agencies and disaster-prone areas. He also directed to ensure training to the front-line workers of all the departments on regular basis with involvement of community, youth, Aapda Mitras in all the Disaster preparedness programs at Ward/ Village/ Panchayat/ Block/ Tehsil level and community level.

The Principal Secretary asked all the departments and DDMA to spread awareness about Earthquake safety, undertake seisimic safety audits of existing infrastructure to ensure Earthquake resistant constructions.