Srinagar: The minimum temperature across Kashmir Valley, except Srinagar, settled below the freezing point on Tuesday with famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recording a low of minus 9.4°C.

A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K recorded a low of 1.4°C against last night’s minus 2.2°C.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

The mercury settled at minus 9.4°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night at the world famous resort of Gulmarg where around 4-6 inches of fresh snowfall in last couple of days.  The minimum temperature was minus 6.2°C below normal for this time of the year.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of minus 0.4°C against 1.2°C on the previous night, he said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 7.9°C against minus 4.1°C on previous night. The resort also had fresh snowfall in last couple of days.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.5°C against minus 2.3°C on previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 1.0°C against 1.5°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital, saw a low of 7.7°C which is 0.3°C above normal for the place during this time of the year, he said.

Ladakh’s Leh had a low of minus 14.0°C against last night’s minus 10.6°C while automatic Kargil station recorded minimum of minus 11.6°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 17.6°C, the official said.

The weatherman has forecast an “appreciable” rise in day temperature from today and fall in mercury during night. “There would be warmer days and colder nights till approach of next Western Disturbance,” the official said, adding, “there is no forecast for any major weather till the end this month.”(GNS)

‘Such schools to be merged to streamline teacher-pupil ration’

By: Bhat Imran

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has sought details of schools with low enrolment to ‘vacate such premises in order to merge the schools’ to streamline the Teacher Pupil Ratio (TPR).

It was leant that the government in a communiqué issued to Director of School Education of Kashmir and Jammu and Project Director, Samagra Shiksha has asked them to provide details of government-run-schools with low enrolment.

Deputy Director for Planning Development and Monitoring has said, “The decisions taken in Committee of Secretaries (COS) meeting headed by Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Arun Kumar Mehta on December-1 regarding the schools with low enrollment and as desired by the higher authorities, I am directed to convey that the expected criteria for proposing the vacating of school buildings due to likely merger of schools with low enrolment may be taken.”

Stating the criteria, the official has said that the details regarding low enrolment shall be submitted of all government primary schools with enrolment less than 10 students.

“All government and upper primary and middle schools with enrolment less than 30 students and all the government high schools with enrolment less than 70 enrolments,” it reads.

The official however said that it shall be ensured that the norms and the guidelines of Right to Education Act (RTE) may not be violated.

“The requisite information complete in all respect as per devised formats already provided shall reach to the Administrative Department by or before December-25 without any fail,” the official said. (KNO)

By: Nadeem Nadu 

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported 91 fresh covid-19 cases while one person died due to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

32 of the fresh cases were reported from Jammu Division and 59 from Kashmir, taking the overall tally to 340924.

One death was reported from Kashmir Valley due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said. So far 4525 persons—2197 in Jammu and 2328 in Kashmir—have died due to the virus, they said.

Giving district wise details of the fresh cases, the officials said that Srinagar reported 30 cases, Baramulla 3, Budgam 5, Pulwama 3, Kupwara 4, Anantnag 0, Bandipora 5, Ganderbal 9, Kulgam 0, Shopian 0, Jammu 20, Udhampur 1, Rajouri 2, Doda 6, Kathua 1, Samba 0, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 2, Ramban 0 and Reasi 0.

Moreover, 127 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time, 29 from Jammu Division and 98 from Kashmir, they said.

So far 335103 patients have recovered, leaving active case tally at 1296—347 in Jammu and 949 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 50 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said.

They also informed that 96780 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)

Uri: At least five persons were injured after a vehicle they were on board skidded off the road in Banhali in Boniyar area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

An official said that a sumo vehicle registration number JK05B 5379 skidded off the road resulting in injuries to five persons.

Identifying the injured persons as Javid Ahmad son of Abdul Rashid khan (driver), Ulfat Bano daughter of Hamid Khan, Munera Begum wife of Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Irshad Ahmad son of Abdul Rasheed khan and Rashid Ahmad son of Abdul Rahim, residents of Banali Boniyar, the official further said that all of them were taken tyo PHC Boniyar from where they were shifted to GMC Baramulla for preferential treatment.

A health official at PHC Boniyar in the meantime said that the driver with relatively grave injuries has been further taken from GMC Baramulla to SKIMS Soura. (GNS)