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Rains disrupt life, shooting stone kills girl

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 3/25/2014 12:05:53 PM

Passengers on highway stranded, protests against flooded Srinagar areas

REASI/SRINAGAR, Mar 24: A Higher Secondary School Part-II student, who was on her way to appear in Mathematics exams, died while three persons including another student were injured after a shooting stone fell on a Tempo Traveler vehicle during rains at Daman on Darmari-Mahore road this morning while following fresh spell of incessant rainfall in the hills and plain areas of the state. Normal traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National highway was halted and massive protest demonstrations were held in various areas of Kashmir valley today against state government after fresh rains created an alarming situation in various areas.
Devinder Sharma From Reasi reported that 17-year-old 12th Class student was killed and three persons were seriously injured when a shooting stone fell on a Tempo Traveler vehicle during heavy rainfall at Daman area of Dharmari in Mahore Sub-Division at 9 AM, today.
Police said that the ill-fated Tempo Traveler vehicle bearing registration number JK02AM-7237 was on its way from Jammu to Mahore. A big boulder rolled down from the hillock over the vehicle at Daman as the soil became loose due to heavy rains. A 12th Class student identified as Nazim Akhter, daughter of Mohiuddin, resident of Maslot died on the spot while another student identified as Puja Devi, 17, daughter of Raghunath Singh of Maslot, Jameela Begum wife of Bashir Ahmed of Chokras Jamslan and Jano Begum, 34, wife of Mohammad Shafi of Thokras, Jamslan were injured. The students were on their way to appear in Mathematics paper of Higher Secondary Part-II and boarded the vehicle from Maslot for Darmari.
SDPO Arnas Javed Mirza and SHO Police Station Arnas Ranjit Singh rushed to the spot. SDM Mahore Ashwani Kumar Khajuria along with team rushed to the spot for rescue and relief operations. The injured were immediately shifted to SDH Darmari where after first aid by paramedics as the doctors were absent they were referred to District Hospital Reasi. The autopsy was conducted by BMO Mahore who rushed to Darmari hospital.
CMO Reasi claimed that one doctor was available in the hospital but he was not capable to conduct autopsy so BMO was asked to conduct the postmortem.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi provided relief of Rs 1.50 lakhs in case of the death from SDR Fund and also relief of Rs 5000 each was provided to the injured.
Meanwhile, SDM Mahore has been directed to lodge an FIR in the matter and enquire if there is any negligence on part of BRO as the area faces recurrent landslides.
The traffic on Reasi Mahore was suspended due to landslides and shooting stones at Daman.
SYED YASIR from Srinagar reported that massive protest demonstrations were held in various areas of Kashmir valley today against state government after fresh rains created an alarming situation in various areas. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed for vehicular traffic and thousands of passenger and trucks are stranded on the highway. The situation in various localities in Srinagar city and its adjoining areas, which have already submerged due to recent rains and snowfall from the last couple of days, worsened today due to fresh rains.
The residential colonies at Hyderpora, HMT, Umar Abad, Shaltang, Batamaloo, Tangpora, Sanat Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Kursoo Rajbagh, Zakoora, and dons of other areas of old Srinagar, have been virtually submerged due to fresh rainfall, today held a massive protest demonstrations. The residents of Batmaloo, Tengpora and dozens of other areas of uptown Srinagar today took to streets and blocked Srinagar- Baramulla national highway and held massive protest demonstration against the state government. The protestors including men, women and children were protesting against the huge water logging in their area. They said that every time after rainfall the area gets inundated which becomes great sources of inconvenience for the residents of the area.
The protesters alleged that their localities have been submerged in rain water and government has failed to drain out the rain water from their localities. The people in these areas also said that their children and old age people have stranded in their residential houses as all the lanes and by lanes have been sub merged in water. The protesters also said that despite repeated requests to divisional administration held line numbers to clear their residential areas, but government has failed to drain out the rain water and their localities remained flooded.
The protesters shouted slogans against the state government and said that they will not allow any vehicle to ply on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The district administration comprising of civil and police officers rushed to the spot to pacify the protesters to open the highway. But the protesters refused to open the road and blocked the highway for several hours.
Thousands of passenger and private vehicles remained suspended for several hours on the highway. Some of the drivers however tried to alternative routes to reach their respective destinations. But they were trapped in massive traffic jam on the highway. Fresh rains have caused an alarming situation in most of the areas of Srinagar and several other areas of Srinagar city. The reports also said that the situation in various townships is also alarming as the water logging due to proper system has caused concern to people. The people in these areas also held protests against state government. Amid anti-government slogans, the protestors alleged that no dewatering pumps were used to relieve people from the water logging mess. They also said that the concerned MLA did not take any action even though they repeatedly informed him about their plight.
Meanwhile, continuous rains triggered landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at various places, forcing closure of the vital road link for traffic.
A traffic department official told KTNS that incessant rain in Panthal, Digdol and some other places triggered landslides. The highway remained closed for vehicular traffic till further orders from the high ups. "Travellers must contact the traffic control rooms in Srinagar and Jammu to find out the latest update about resumption of traffic," the officer said.
Reports said that thousands of passenger and load carriers are stranded on the highway near Ramban. The passengers said the traffic officials did not provide them latest information about the highway and they were allowed to move towards Srinagar and later stopped them near Ramban.
The highway authorities claimed to have pressed men and machinery to shift the passengers to safer places before starting clearance operations. However, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) responsible for the maintenance of the highway have already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides. But, sources said, continued rain had badly hit the road clearance operation.
As soon as shooting stones stopped and landslides are cleared, vehicles will be allowed to move towards Srinagar, they added.
Meanwhile, rains continued to lash the plains of Jammu region throwing normal life out of gear.