Baramulla, Nov 17: Shopkeepers in apple township of Sopore in this north Kashmir district on Tuesday protested and blocked main road against sudden spate in burglary incidents in the town, official sources said.
They said shopkeepers were this morning shocked after they found their shops looted by the burglars during the intervening of Monday and Tuesday. Raising slogans against the administration, the agitated shopkeepers assembled at Shah Faisal Market alleged that despite complaints about the movement of criminals and other anti social elements, authorities had failed to take any precautionary measure to prevent burglary incidents.
The agitators who had blocked main Sopore-Nowpora road claimed a number of shops were looted. The burglars looted cash, cloths, readymade garments and grocery items, the shopkeepers said and urged police to intensify night patrolling in the markets to prevent such burglary incidents.
Meanwhile, President of Sopore Economic Alliance (SEA) Mohammad Ashraf expressing concern over the burglary incidents, demanded thorough investigation to arrest the culprits.
Police has registered a case and started investigation, sources said adding a massive hunt has been launched to nab the burglars.
Shopkeepers stage protest, block road in Sopore against burglary incidents
LAWDA demolishes illegally raised wooden hut inside Dal Lake
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 17: The Enforcement Wing of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) today carried out a demolition drive in Shalimar area and within Dal Lake.
During the drive, the illegally raised structure in Shalimar and Wooden Hut in the area of BakhariMohalla in Dal Lake was demolished.
The demolition squad faced stiff resistance in the area of Shalimar during which one squad member namely Ghulam Hussain Mir got severely injured and was admitted in hospital for treatment.
Plantation programme held at Womens College Srinagar
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 17: In continuance to ‘Green J&K Drive’, a plantation programme was Tuesday organized by the Forest Department in collaboration with Government College for Women, M. A. Road, Srinagar at the college campus.
During the programme, Conifer seedlings of Deodar, Blue Pine and Cypress were planted by the Conservator of Forests, Srinagar Circle, Principal, Government College for Women, DFO Urban Forestry and Faculty Members of the College.
On the occasion, it was emphasised that faculty members must own each plant and take their due care till establishment.
It is pertinent to mention that during the current year, 27 lakh plants will be planted under the “Green J&K Drive” in Kashmir Valley with the active involvement of various stakeholders including students, Panchayats, Security forces, Government Departments and NGOs etc.
Pesky Power Outages
The winter has just set in and power outages have started to haunt the people of Kashmir Valley. In fact, it is an old story that people of J&K have been subjected to time and again, notwithstanding the claims by the successive the governments regarding improvement. People have to bear the harshness of the winters in absence of the electricity. The fact remains that they would not have to endure it if only there was uninterrupted electricity supply.
Despite augmenting power supply, the uninterrupted power supply or providing it even as per the time schedule announced by the PDD seems a far cry. Rather it appears to be unattainable. The people have been craving to see the concerned department improves its performance, and to provide electricity for a reasonable time length. The absence of electricity makes life miserable, irrespective of whether it is spring, summer, autumn, or winter. However in terms of severity, it ought to be winters. The scale of hardships caused by it is not something one needs to explain. The importance or dependency on electricity is simply more in contemporary times as against the past when people would do with burning woods or utilize charcoal differently. This year, the dependency for a few is more than fighting the harshness of the winter. They need electricity for survival against covid-19 giving importance to oxygen they need through machine run by the electrical energy.
Routines of life are determined by the supply of electricity. Almost ass aspects of life are contingent on power. The household chores are now entirely dependent on electricity. The administration must bear that this is the season for examination, and students have to put in extra effort in their studies which is inevitably dependent on light. Without electricity, everything turns upside down. Given the importance, the frequent and unscheduled power cuts are nothing short of violating the basic requirements of life. The concerned authorities must be held responsible for this. The justification that people put a lot of burden on the system is out of place as the need for electricity is linked to survival and one may do all it takes to meet the requirements. The authorities need to respond to the public outcry on the important matter. Gaps need to fixed and demand-supply ensured. There should be proper management and scheduled announced need to be adhered to in letter and spirit.
Anti-graft agencies become active, work culture improves in J&K
Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 16: Anti-graft agencies during the past few months have become very active in Jammu and Kashmir and it appears that the work culture in the government offices too has improved.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “Many new corruption cases have been registered and old cases which were dumped under the carpet stand reopened. Pro-active approach of the Anti Corruption Bureau and other agencies is giving sleepless nights to the people who during their tenure just ignored these issues.”
It’s in place to mention here that transition of erstwhile State into a Union Territory has extended the jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to Jammu and Kashmir. The ACB has got more teeth and is acting on the complaints swiftly.
The analyst said, “In absence of political interference many big fishes have been nailed during the past few months. Big shots who used to think that they are above the law have been questioned and grilled in the cases which were pushed on the backburner by the erstwhile regimes.”
He said that besides the ACB, The Enforcement Directorate has also taken keen interest in Kashmir. “The ED has questioned the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah in connection with the multi-crore Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam. It has not happened in the past, otherwise the JKCA scam is an old case.”
The analyst said, “The ACB is registering cases on a daily basis. No complaint is being overlooked. People are feeling the change in ground situation and are approaching the anti-graft agencies frequently. The quick response is encouraging more and more people to come forward.”
He said, “The pro-active approach of these agencies can go a long way in curbing the corruption in the newly carved out Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
An observer said, “The work culture in the government offices too seems to have improved. The complaints about files remaining stuck for months together at one place have declined. The officials have realized that they are being watched and their functioning is being monitored. They don’t want to end up in trouble and are trying to complete the assigned tasks without any delay.”
He said, “The present dispensation in J&K is trying to make people comfortable and it appears that work culture has improved. Officials haven’t changed. They are the same people who used to work in the political regimes but their style of functioning has changed as they want to ensure that their jobs remain safe.”
Another analyst said, “The steps which have been taken in the recent past by the administration have made the government officials realize that they can be axed if they don’t perform.”
COVID-19 vaccine won’t stop pandemic: WHO Chief
Washington, Nov 16: The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that a vaccine would not by itself stop the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic is raging months after it broke out, with infections soaring past 54 million and claiming more than 1.3 million lives.
“A vaccine will complement the other tools we have, not replace them,” director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic.”
The WHO’s figures for Saturday showed that 660,905 coronavirus cases were reported to the UN health agency, setting a new high water mark.
Tedros said that supplies of the vaccine would initially be restricted, with “health workers, older people and other at-risk populations (to) be prioritised. That will hopefully reduce the number of deaths and enable the health systems to cope.”
But he warned: “That will still leave the virus with a lot of room to move. Surveillance will need to continue, people will still need to be tested, isolated and cared for, contacts will still need to be traced… and individuals will still need to be cared for.”
COVID-19 claims 7 more lives in J&K
Death toll nears 1600, 103009 people test positive
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Nov 16: Jammu and Kashmir reported seven more COVID-19 deaths, while 390 fresh cases were reported in the past 24-hours, officials said on Monday.
They said that the fatality count due to the virus in J&K has mounted to 1598, while 103009 people have tested positive for the pestilence across the Union Territory till date.
Among those who succumbed to the virus include four residents of Kashmir while three were from Jammu region, officials said.
Regarding the deaths from Kashmir, they said, three were from Srinagar and one from Pulwama district.
With these deaths, the total count in the Valley has reached region has reached 1060 and 538 in the Jammu region.
Srinagar district with 399 deaths tops the list followed by Jammu (283), Baramulla (157), Budgam (97), Pulwama (85), Kupwara (78), Anantnag (75), Doda (50), Rajouri (48), Kulgam (48), Bandipora(48), Shopian (36), Ganderbal (37), Udhampur (35), Kathua (33), Samba (25), Poonch (22), Ramban (18), Kishtwar(16), and Reasi (8).
15-day-old boy among 390 new cases in J&K
Meanwhile, thirty-eight travelers and a 15-day-old baby were among 390 new novel COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 103009 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among the cases, 150 were reported from Jammu Division and 240 from Kashmir Valley, officials said.
Giving the district wise details, they said that Srinagar reported 112 cases, Baramulla 58, Budgam 20, Pulwama 8, Kupwara 11, Anantnag 4, Bandipora 11, Ganderbal 13, Kulgam 3, Shopian 0, Jammu 97, Rajouri 2, Udhampur 17, Doda 3, Kathua 5, Poonch 1, Samba 10, Kishtwar 5, Ramban 8 and Reasi 2.
Among them, at least 24 cases were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic laboratory and include female (45) from Arabal Shalimar, female (14) from Shairabad, female (12) from Satoora, male (29) from BB Cantt, female (48) and two males (28, 29) from Alochibagh, female (30) from HMT Srg, female (70) from Noorbagh Srg, female (65) and male (30) from Mulfaq Harwan Srg, two males (45, 30) and female (60) from M M Bagh Srg, male (75) from B K Pora Srg, male (62) from Nawakadal Srg, female (32) from Dalgate, female (15 Days) from Qamarwari Srg, female (65) from Uri Baramulla, male (NA) from Natipora Srg, female (30) from Shirmal, three females (65, 40, 48) from Lasjan Srg.
According to the daily Media Bulletin, out of 103009 positive cases, 5588 are active positive, 95824 have recovered.
It said that out of 2660991 test results available, 2557982 samples have been tested as negative till date.
So far 715686 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 24592 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 5588 in isolation and 41318 in home surveillance. Besides, 642591 persons have completed their surveillance period, it said.
Moreover, they said, 482 more Covid-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals— 152 from Jammu Division and 330 from Kashmir Valley.(GNS)
‘Moderna COVID-19 vaccine over 94% effective’
Washington, Nov 16: US biotech firm Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was 94.5 percent effective, marking a second major breakthrough in the vaccine hunt.
Moderna released early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants, after US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their vaccine was 90 percent effective.
Both vaccine frontrunners are based on a new platform called messenger RNA, which is faster to produce than traditional vaccines and effectively turn human cells into vaccine factories.
“This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease,” said Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s CEO.
The company plans to submit applications for emergency approval in the US and around the world within weeks, and says it expects to have approximately 20 million doses ready to ship in the US by the end of the year.
Global infections from Covid-19 have soared past 54 million with more than 1.3 million deaths since the virus emerged in China late last year.
The Moderna vaccine, which was co-developed by the US National Institutes of Health, is given in two doses 28 days apart, and the preliminary results are based on 95 volunteers of the 30,000 who fell ill with Covid-19.
Of the 95, 90 had been in the trial’s placebo group, and five in the group that received the drug, called mRNA-1273.
There were 11 people who fell severely ill, all of whom were in the placebo group.
The vaccine was well tolerated, with the majority of side-effects classed as mild or moderate.
After the first dose, about three percent of people had injection site pain classed as severe.
Among side-effects classed as severe after the second dose, about 10 percent had fatigue, nine percent had muscle pain, five percent had joint pain or headaches, four percent had other pain and two percent had redness at the injection site.
These adverse events were “short lived,” according to a statement.
“This news from Moderna is tremendously exciting and considerably boosts optimism that we will have a choice of good vaccines in the next few months,” said Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London.
Crucially, Moderna also announced that its vaccine can remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 days.
The company added it could be kept in long-term storage at standard freezer temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six months.
Pfizer’s vaccine, on the other hand, needs to be stored in deep-freezer conditions which could complicate supply chain logistics, particularly in less developed countries.
It is not yet clear how long lasting the protection will be from either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, nor how well they work for the elderly, the age-group at highest risk from COVID-19.
India records lowest spike in cases in 4 months
New Delhi, Nov 16: With 30,548 fresh COVID-19 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, India has recorded its lowest increase in daily cases in last four months.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the country’s overall caseload has surged to 88,45,127 with its death toll standing at 1,30,070 after 435 new fatalities. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.47 per cent.
There are 4,65,478 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprise of 5.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
The total number of recoveries has surged to 82,49,579, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.27 per cent.
The ministry, on Monday morning, said that India continues to have one of the lowest cases per million population globally. “Fifteen states and union territories have cases per million lower than the national average,” it tweeted.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 12,56,98,525 samples have been tested up to November 15 with 8,61,706 being tested on Sunday.
Low testing is most likely the reason behind less number of cases reported in the last 24 hours as less than one million samples have been tested since Friday and only 8 lakh tests were carried out on Saturday.
World counting on India for affordable COVID vaccine: Jaishankar
New Delhi, Nov. 16 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Monday said India is at the heart of international and multilateral collaborations in evolving reliable vaccines to contain the Covid 19 virus.
Delivering keynote address at the Deccan Dialogue, Dr Jaishankar pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed to the United Nations that India will help make vaccines accessible and affordable to all. “And believe me, from the regular conversations that I have with so many counterparts, the world is counting on us to do so,’’ he said.
Recalling India’s efforts in helping to check the spread of the deadly Corona virus, the Minister said that as demands for medicines – especially Hydroxychloroquine and Paracetamol – spiked, the country stepped up production and supplied 150 countries, more than half at its own cost.
“Today, the focus has shifted to rapid testing and reliable vaccines, both essential for a return to travel normalcy. And we are at the heart of international and multilateral collaborations in this regard,’’ he told the participants at the third edition of the Deccan Dialogue being held at Hyderabad.
“There are many lessons from the Covid experience that we will all be reflecting on in the coming times. The immediate focus is on economic recovery and the figures for September-October have really been encouraging. There is also a greater awareness globally about more resilient supply chains. It is up to us to exploit this sentiment for additional engines of growth by creating better conditions for production. The recent announcement of production-linked incentives for various sectors is significant in that regard,’’ he said.
Domestically, Dr Jaishankar said, there is a clear realization of the need to embark on the next generation of reforms that addresses challenges which were neglected by a narrower vision.
“The changes we have seen in regard to agriculture, labour and education are notable examples. If there is a big takeaway, it is in the power of digitization, one that could come into play thanks to the achievements of the last six years. We saw that not only in contact tracing but in providing resources and supplies on an unprecedented scale to the most needy during the Corona period. But from my perspective as Foreign Minister, what this crisis really brought out was the importance of international cooperation,’’ he said.
Referring to the Vande Bharat Mission, the Minister said that it would not have been possible if multiple Governments had not standardized procedures, whether on testing, on quarantine, on movement or on transit protocols. “Many – especially in the Gulf – went out of the way to expend their own resources for the welfare of foreigners. And India has reciprocated in full measure. More than one lakh foreign residents were assisted to go back to their home in these difficult times,’’ he pointed out.
Coming to globalized and inter-dependent world, Dr Jaishankar said that each nation has the ability to assess its interests, frame its policies and modulate its engagement.
“But there are the more existential aspects of globalization as well, one where the elements of choice are much less. The three most vivid examples of them today are climate change, terrorism and pandemics. None of them are a choice of an impacted society, yet all of them – as we are currently experiencing – affect us profoundly,’’ he said.
Pointing out that today’s India is far more international than the one before, he said that its embrace of the world has been strongly facilitated by the technologies of the digital era. The globe is not just a marketplace or even a workplace; it is today a source of ideas, inspiration and aspirations, he told the gathering.
