Parts of Dal, 35 other lakes frozen
SRINAGAR, Jan 1 — Parts of the Dal Lake in Srinagar and about 35 small and big high altitude lakes across the valley have frozen. However, temperature in the Ladakh region was above normal, official sources told UNI.

J-K takes steps to modernise police
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 1 — In order to modernise the police force in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir, the training school at Vijaypur, 30 km from here, is being converted into Technical Training Institute and it would include specialised courses relating to intelligence, security, telecommunications and photography. And a computer training school has been established in the State Crime Record Bureau for the police personnel.

During the past two years, the Government laid emphasis on increasing manpower in the police force to take on militants. In this context, over 10,000 additional posts were created in the police department which included two battalions of the India Reserve Police (IRP). More than 5,342 police officials were elevated to higher posts and 50 per cent of the new recruits were trained outside the state.

The police chief, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, who has been credited with revamping the police force in the state, formulated a plan for broadbasing the training programme for the men in Khaki. Under his guidance, police training schools at Kathua, Manigam, in Kashmir, and Vijaypur in Jammu. Two new training centres have been opened — one in Reasi and other at Ghani Himmat in Jammu — for training 5,000 recruits.

To modernise police equipment, a computerised Fingerprint Bureau was set up in the state. For upgrading weaponry 5,000 SLRs were allotted to various police units for tackling insurgency.

The Police Housing Corporation has been set up and 1517 family quarters are to be constructed within next two years under the 10th Finance Commission award.

The Government has also taken in hand a massive programmes for the construction and renovation of police stations and posts and for augmenting facilities in police hospitals. As many as 20 border police buildings are under construction and they are expected to be completed within five months. More than 52 police stations were renovated to make habitable for the jawans and officers.

Official sources said that financial constraints restricted the police programme of buying more sophisticated weapons and increasing the mobility of the force with the procurement of new jeeps and vans. Despite a considerable improvement, there are still several police stations and posts that have no suitable vehicles which could help the police chase militants.

Parts of Dal, 35 other lakes frozen

SRINAGAR, Jan 1 (UNI) — Parts of the Dal Lake in Srinagar and about 35 small and big high altitude lakes across the valley have frozen.

However, temperature in the Ladakh region was above normal, official sources told UNI.

About 55 small and big high altitude lakes in the Kashmir valley, including Gangabal, Vishensar, Krishansar, Gadsar, Nunkkool, Tarsar, Marsar and Nalpathar were frozen.

The temperature in and around Srinagar fell to 7.1 to five degrees below normal.

Children were seen throwing stones and playing cricket on the frozen surface of the Dal Lake in the morning.

A weather office spokesman told UNI on Friday that the dry cold wave would continue for another two days in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said today’s temperature was the third lowest ever recorded in the nineties. The lowest recorded temperature in this decade was minus 11.8 degree Celsius in January 1991.

However, the spokesman said the lowest temperature recorded during January was in 1902 when the mercury fell to minus 14.4 degree Celsius.

Jhelum touches record low water level
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Jan 1 — Due to the long dry spell and freezing temperatures in the Kashmir valley over the past few weeks, water in the Jhelum has touched a record low at 1.50 foot, in the past 54 years.

This was recorded at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar on Wednesday.

Experts believe that this low has been due to the continued dry spell in the valley, which did not witness any rain or snowfall in the past three months. "If the temperature rises the water level may rise in the river for the continued sub-zero temperature has halted the flow of water", said an engineer.

Several other water bodies like the Dal Lake in Srinagar has frozen, with temperatures ranging between 8 degrees Celsius and minus 8 degrees Celsius. The peripheries of the Dal are frozen and it has become difficult for the boatmen to move around in the area. Children have been playing on the icy surface of the lake for the past few days.

With the decline in the water level in all water bodies in the valley, there has been a heavy decline in power production from various hydel projects. The much-talked about and recently completed Uri Hydel Project, which has the Jhelum as its source, produces only 90 MW power against the installed capacity of 480 MW of power. Similarly the Lower Jhelum Power Project in north Kashmir produces only 20 MW of power due to the decline in the water level against the installed capacity of 105 MW.

The Kashmir valley awaits rain and snowfall to end the harsh winter conditions as also raise the water level in the rivers to increase the power production. The power supply has heavily suffered due to the decline in the water level and the damage caused to 132 kv transmission tower at Qazigund last week due to a bomb explosion. With the damage at the132 kv transmission line, 100 MW of power has been curtailed. According to the officials concerned it might take another five days to restore the transmission lines on a temporary basis.

The valley is already reeling under shortage of power supply. As against the demand of nearly 700 MW the supply of power is about 300 to 400 MW.