Srinagar, July 26: Strict restrictions continued on Sunday even as shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road for the fourth successive day in view of five-day lockdown imposed by authorities till July 27 to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley.

All the roads and market places, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, remained sealed with authorities asking public to cooperate to curtail the spread of COVID-19 by strictly adhering to the lockdown. Roads leading to Ghani Khan market in Srinagar were also closed with barbed wires since early Sunday morning.

Shops and business established remained closed and traffic was off the roads in downtown, civil lines, uptown in Srinagar in view of the lockdown. But, some roads witnessed traffic jam due to roadblocks and checking. At some places, few traders could be seen selling animals for sacrifice on Eid though less number of buyers

Officials said all Executive Magistrates along with respective SHOs shall personally monitor enforcement of lockdown and take necessary action in case of violations. “No inter and intra district movement will be allowed without valid permission or staff on medical/health duty,” they said.

“Any violation of the lockdown order will attract proceedings and action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act and provisions contained in the Epidemic Diseases Act,” they added.

Reports of similar restrictions were coming from other parts of the valley, including Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara in north and Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian in north Kashmir.

Business and other activities were also remained crippled in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal, where roads were closed with barbed wires in most parts to prevent movement of vehicles.

Tasaduq Hussain

Kupwara, July 26:  A government teacher was among two apprehended at Sadhna Top close to the Line of  Control in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district along with huge quantity of arms, ammunition  and narcotics worth Rs 50 crore in international market.

Addressing a joint press conference with the army, at District Police Office (DPO) Kupwara, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Shiriram Ambarkar,
said that a teacher along with another person was involved in illegal transportation of arms, ammunition and a consignment of narcotics worth Rs 50 crores in international market.

Flanked by Army’s Colonel PS Chauhan, the SSP Kupwara said that both the apprehend accused were  in contact with Pakistan based Lashkar-e- Toiba (LeT) outfit and were operate on the directions of Lashkar operatives across LoC to smuggle huge amount of illegal narcotics, arms and ammo into the valley.

The SSP Kupwara said that the arrested duo was involved in illegal trade of narcotics and ammunition of which one is a government teacher posted at higher secondary school Tangdhar, Kupwara and has been identified as Bashir Ahmad Sheikh (48) son of Ghulam Ahmad Sheikh and another one has been identified as Abdul Amir Sheikh (43) son of Mohammad Amin Sheikh a resident of Hajinar, Tangdhar, Kupwara.

He said that apart of narcotics worth Rs 50 crore in the international market, huge quantity of arms and ammunition that include 20 grenades, one AK-56 riffle, its 76 rounds, 90 pistol rounds were recovered.

Talking about the surge in illegal trade of narcotics in border district, the SSP said that it’s going to be a big challenge in times to come but not beyond the ability of security forces. “We have demonstrated so many times that we are able to busting modules back to back,” he said. (KNO)

Suhail Khan

SRINAGAR, July 26: With revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status set to complete one year, political parties have maintained silence on this issue and are instead seeking restoration of J&K’s sattehood.

National Conference patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday called for restoration of its statehood and hoped the Supreme Court would render justice by striking down the repeal of Article 370 provisions.

He said that his party would continue to contest the changes through all democratic means.

Similarly, Bhartiya Janta Party is also seeking restoration of J&K’s statehood.

“Some people want to divide Jammu and Kashmir but we won’t let that happen. BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav has said that statehood should return to Jammu and Kashmir. We hope the government will consider it,” senior BJP leader from J&K and former MLC Sofi Yusuf told KINS.

Yusuf said BJP has been strengthening its base in Kashmir. “We are hopeful to win over 20 seats in assembly elections after delimitation,” he added.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has also demanded restoration of statehood followed by assembly elections to J&K during his meeting with Prime Minister Narinder Modi on Friday evening.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari demanded that statehood of J&K should be restored on August 5, when it was split last year into two Union Territories.

Bukhari said the party will continue its fight for the restoration of statehood which was snatched last year. (KINS)

Jammu, July 26: Pakistan troops yet again violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in Jammu’s Poonch district on Sunday.

Defence spokesman here said that at about 1515 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in Balakote sector of Poonch.

“Indian Army retaliates befittingly to cross border firing,” he added.

Srinagar, July 26: With less than a week left for Eid-ul-Adha, the famous Sunday market in this summer capital remained deserted as strict restrictions continued in view of rise in fresh COVID-19 cases and deaths in Kashmir.

Of the total 305 deaths since March this year, 270 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in 51 days, and 290 people in 65 day in J&K, where 523 new positive cases were detected on Saturday, taking the total number of infected persons to 17305.

The closure of the weekly flea market in the heart of the city, which used to attract customers from across Kashmir, has left people, particularly economically weaker section of the society, with no option but to celebrate this Eid without new clothes and other items, otherwise available in the market in reasonable rates.

“I used to buy clothes for my children from Sunday market as they were used to cost less and the quality of the products was also good. I have been purchasing cloths for my children ahead of Eid from the market from last couple of years. Last Eid the market was closed due to unrest post abrogation of Article 370 and this year due to COVID-19,” Javeed Ahmad, who alongwith his wife work as domestic help in Srinagar, told UNI.

Javeed said this year his children will be disappointed as he can’t afford to purchase new clothes for them from a shop. “We are already struggling due to COVID-19 and buying new clothes for my children from a shop is not an option,” he added.

Similar views were expressed by other people, who used to make purchase at the weekly market, particularly during festival season.

The 3-km-long Sunday market from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC to Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, Srinagar, remained closed since March 8, about three weeks before J&K witnessed its first COVID-19-related death.

The famous weekly flea market used to attracts thousands of customers from different parts of the Valley. Business worth crores of rupees was done every week in the market in which goods, ranging from a hairpin to carpets, were sold on economical rates.

People associate with the market said that the business used to triple three to four weeks before Eid festival as customers used to throng the Sunday market in large numbers to make purchases, including clothes, shoes and other items.

However, the entire road stretch was deserted as vendors were not allowed to put up their stalls in the market in the city, where strict restrictions were re-imposed from for five days on Wednesday evening to Monday in view of upward spiral in the number of COVID-19 deaths and new positive cases.

“I used to setup stall in Sunday market and used to earn by livelihood. This was my sole sources of income. It is ironic that we were not allowed to put up stalls in the market. We understand that COVID-19 has to be curtailed, but if such is the case, why is the authority allowing labourers and inviting tourists to the valley. Will that not spread COVID-19 in Kashmir? Why is the administration keeping locals under lockdown and inviting tourists,” Tahir Ahmad, a vendor, said.

New Delhi, July 26: The National Capital continued to record more fresh recoveries, compared to the infections, as the city’s recovery rate further improved to 87.95 per cent on Sunday.

Delhi now has 114875 recovered patients till date, after adding 1807 to the list in the past 24 hours, the state’s Health Bulletin said.

After recording 1075 fresh infections since Saturday, the total number of COVID cases in Delhi registered till date have increased to 130606.

Meanwhile, active cases have now further reduced to 11904 in the city, the government data said here.

Deaths across the city till date have now reached 3827, after 21 more people lost their battle to the lethal virus in the past one day.

The patients under home isolation have also decreased further as compared to yesterday and the figure currently stands at 6976.

Total number of tests done in the national capital till date stand at 946777, the Bulletin added.

However, containment zones across the city according to the government data stand at 714, while government agencies are also keeping a strict eye on the violators of guidelines even outside the containment zones by conducting drives around busy market places and other areas.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the occupancy of beds by the COVID patients has seen a decrease in the past one month’s time, between June 23 to July 26.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, he expressed that much lesser number of people are now falling ill, and most of them are being treated at home.

Even lesser people are needing hospitalisation, he added.

‘Corona bed occupancy has come down sharply from 23 June to 26 July. Much lesser no of people are now falling ill. Most of those falling ill are getting treated at home. Therefore, very few people are now needing hospitalisation,’ Delhi CM tweeted.

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, July 24 : The deadly novel Coronavirus on Friday claimed 12 more lives in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of people who died  due to the pandemic in the Union Territory to 300.

Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that eight patients who died include a 75-year-old man from Saderbal Srinagar, a 65-year-old man from Maharaj Gunj Srinagar, a 65-year-old woman from Malaknag Anantnag, a 58-year-old IRP Sub Inspector from Jammu, a 68-year-old woman from Sopore, a 70-year-old male from Rainawari Srinagar, a 75-year-old Lady from Peerbagh Srinagar, a 60-year-old male patient from Khanyar Srinagar, an 80-year-old lady from Sarnal Anantanag, a 50-year old woman  from Tangmarg Baramulla, a 60-year old woman from Dab Ganderbal and a 44-year-old male from Karan Bagh Satwari Jammu.

An official from SKIMS said that a patient from Saderbal was admitted on July 08 with multiple ailments and he died on Friday morning.

Sources at SMHS said that a 65-year-old patient from Maharaj Gung, presently living at Kraltang Rajouri Kadal who was admitted on July 20 with bilateral Pneumonia and was tested positive on 22 July died on Friday.

They said that a patient from Sopore who was admitted on July 21 with bilateral Pneumonia died at SMHS on Thursday and was tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

They further added that a 60-year-old man from Khanyar who was admitted on 21 July with community acquired pneumonia died last evening and was tested positive on Friday.

The health officials said that a 60-year old lady from Dab Ganderbal who was admitted with hypertension and pneumonia on 18 July died on Friday evening.

“A 50 year old lady from Tangmarg Baramulla who was admitted on 23 July with multiple ailments died on Friday and was tested positive for covid-19 after her death,” they added.

A health official at GMC Anantnag said that a 65-year-old woman from Malaknag Anantnag who was admitted on July 22 died at GMC Anantnag on Friday morning.

He said the patient was suffering from hypertension, pneumonia and other ailments.

He further added that an 80 year old lady from Sarnal Anantnag who was admitted on July 19 with bilateral pneumonia, hypertension died at GMC on Friday.

Officials from GMC Jammu said that a 58-year-old IRP Sub Inspector from Gandhi Nagar who was admitted on July 22 and tested positive for the virus, breathed his last at GMC on Friday.

They further added that a 44-year-old shopkeeper who was shitted from CD hospital to isolation ward of GMC Jammu on 23 July with fever, cough, haemoptysis and respiratory distress died on Friday at around 6:30 pm.

An official at SKIMS Bemina (JVC) said that a 75-year-old lady from Peerbagh Srinagar who was admitted on July 14 after testing positive for COVID-19 died on Friday.

An official from CD hospital said that a 70-year old man from Rainawari who had tested positive for COVID-19, died hours after he was admitted at CD hospital on Friday.

With twelve more deaths, the death toll due to COVID-19 has reached to 300 in J&K including 278 from Kashmir division and 22 from Jammu division.

New Delhi, July 24: India’s coronavirus tally rose to 12.87 lakh after 49,310 fresh cases were recorded in the past 24 hrs, according to the Union Health Ministry data released on Friday.

While the confirmed cases stand at 12,87,945, the death toll due to the disease rose to 30,601 with 740 fatalities reported in one day.

There are 4,40,135 active cases in the country, while 8,17,208 people have recovered and one person has migrated. In the past 24 hours, a record 34,602 patients were declared cured, signifying further improvement in the rate of recovery in the country.

This has further expanded the difference between those who are active COVID patients and the recovered persons to 3,77,073.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 1,54,28,170 samples have been tested up to July 23 with 3,52,801 samples being tested on Thursday.