Jammu ans Kashmir State Commission for Women has been empowered and given more teeth to curb the atrocities being inflicted on women.
This was stated by Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Sakina Itoo while releasing annual report 2008-09 of Jammu and Kashmir state Commission for Women at EDI Conference hall IMPA Srinagar here today.
The Minister said the women from far-flung areas usually unaware of the Commission should approach it and register their cases, so that they are able to get justice. She said the age of ignorance is gone when the women folk endured every hardship, adding that they must get awake now and take active part in day-to-day dealings.
The Minister said that crime against women has reached to dangerous proportions and the commission must widen its activities to sensitize the women folk in every nook and corner about their rights and obligations. Ms. Itoo said by heading Social Welfare department she has embarked upon a mission to better the lot of women who have been worst sufferers during the last two decades of turmoil in the state.
Ms. Sakina said that need of the hour is to organize awareness camps for women at remote areas of the state, so that they can be acquainted with various social welfare schemes sponsored both by central and state governments. She said that we need to address the issue of domestic violence and discrimination against women very seriously.
The Minister said education can play an important role in this regard adding that until the women know their rights, they can not fight against the injustice. She appreciated the Commission for performing its job seriously. She said that the protection of women domestic violence act will shortly be introduced in Jammu and Kashmir, which will empower them to seek their rights and live in dignity. She added that women all over the country are being discriminated, their work not acknowledged and the crime against them needs special attention.
Secretary of Social Welfare Department, Mr. M.S.Khan during his speech said that we need to focus on women education so that the violence against them is curbed. He said that the increasing violence against women has reached an alarming situation.
Secretary of the Commission, Hafiza Muzaffar briefed the participants about the role of the Commission and the mandate the Commission has to deal with various cases of atrocities inflicted on women. She elaborated that the Commission has to investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution and other laws relating to women with the appropriate authorities, looking into complaints and take suo-moto notice of maters relating to deprivation of women’s rights. The summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of the country and examining him on oath and requiring the discovery and production of any document is also within the preview of Commission, she added.
Later, the Minister also chaired the Consultative Committee meeting of the Commission.
Kashmir University (KU) is all set to hold International Conference on Climate Change, Glacial recession and Livelihoods being jointly organized by the Government of J&K, University of Kashmir and Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi (TERI) at SKICCC from 12-14 October, 2009.
The Conference shall suggest a strategic plan that outlines the policies and actions required to be taken by different organizations in the state to mitigate and adapt to the climate change effects
Prof. Punjabi, Vice-Chancellor of the KashmirUniversity, said that there is need for coordinated efforts by the academia, Government and the civil society for developing robust strategies for adapting to the Climate Change. He said that the organization of the forthcoming International Conference on Climate Change was an important milestone in this direction.
The Impacts of Climate Change and climate variability, already evident in the region, are likely to affect different sectors of the economy and environment in our state. It is predicted that the Climate Change shall impact Himalaya’s natural resource base including water resources, forestry, agriculture and other associated sectors and thus, putting additional stress on ecological and socio-economic systems in the region, said Dr. Shakil A Romshoo, Convener of the Working Group on Climate Change Research at the University of Kashmir. It is in this backdrop that the University of Kashmir, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi have joined hands to develop an action plan for launching mitigation and adaptation studies in the region. The strategy shall be discussed at the forthcoming The Conferences is being attended by renowned Climate change experts from national and international institutions including Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, President of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Chief Minister, Mr. Umar Abdullah and the Union Minister for Forests and Environment, Mr. Jairam Ramesh are expected to attend the Inaugural and valedictory of the Conference. The valedictory shall be held at the University of Kashmir. Various technical, plenary and breakout sessions on climate change science, prediction, impacts, vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation are scheduled during the 3-day conference. The outcome of the conference shall be announced in the form of “Srinagar Declaration” on the concluding day of the Conference.
Mr. R. D. Tiwari, Director SFRI, Govt. of J&K and convener of the Steering Committee constituted by the Government said that the Conference shall provide a platform to different segments of the society to deliberate on various aspects of climate change in the Himalayas. Noted Glaciologist and Padma Shri Prof. Iqbal Hasnain said that there is an immediate need to tackle the climate change in the region on priority as the Himalayas have tremendous ecological and socio-economic importance for the entire south Asian region.
In order to boast the Climate Change research in the region, the University of Kashmir in collaboration with the UK Met Office has recently initiated a regional experiment on studying impacts of Climate change on different sectors particulars water resources and Ecosystem services, said Dr. Romshoo. He said that it is of utmost importance that strategies are developed, on priority, to analyze the uncertainty about the nature and extent of climate change and to assess the likely impacts of the climate change on every sector in the state so that we adapt to the climate change in a phased manner.
Third fire incident in last 20 days; yet minister says thrust is being laid on preservation of environment.
By Ajmer Alam Wani
JAMMU: How unfortunate is it, when Minister for Forest and Environment, for Jammu and Kashmir Government, Mian Altaf Ahmed during a function at Srinagar appealed to the people particularly the youth to make the J&K State green and safe heaven for the rich biodiversity of the State and just hours after the appeal about 500 young green deodar and Pine trees were reportedly engulfed by fire in between Comportment No- 3 and 4 of Chiralla Forest Range in Forest Division Bhaderwah at a place known as Rankhi Faat.
Reports said that reacting to the GREEN GOLD IN DANGER news series by this reporter, forest officials have started putting restrictions on cutting of green forest wealth which is not digestible to the forest mafia operating in the state for decades thus they instead of cutting the trees have adopted another modus operands to extract the wood from forests. As per the new strategy of extracting the wood from the green jungle, the land mafia put the green trees on fire due to which green trees fell down without cutting. Once the trees fell down, the remains are used as wood while the area which is turned into desert is encroached upon by the forest land encroachment mafia and is used for agricultural activities illegally. The process continues and more and more trees are set ablaze year after year.
Reports received today late evening said that about 500 young green trees were engulfed by massive fire at Rankhi Faat which was put on by forest mafia. Reports added that the fire was spotted at at-least seven spots in between Comportment No-3 and 4 and that was spreading very fast.
Relevant to mention here that in lat 20 days, this is the third fire incident in the ChirallaForestRange while the cutting of trees continues. However; the forest officials deputed in the area have started responding but unfortunately not to protect the green trees but to fill their pockets with some money from the anti forest elements which adds more fuel to the forest fire.
The Bhaderwah Forest Division, particularly ChirallaForestRange lacks Forest Protection Force (FPF) posts and in the absence of these posts the forest mafia is going non-stop.
It has been established that forest officials at the lower level are hand-in-gloves with the forest mafia which is adding deforestation in the Bhaderwah Forest Division and forest land encroachments are on increase.
Government had setup some Village Forest Committees (VFC) but regrettably the members of VFC instead of protecting the green tree from felling are helping in cutting of the same and even some are selling the timber scants and earning at the cost mankind whose survival is dependent on forests.
The Jammu and Kashmir state has been a tragedy, if one goes by the role of successive state governments in protecting green forests since the partition of India. The slogans are raised every time. Assurances are given almost every day. Seminars, debates and competitions are organized almost every weak but the results are contrary on ground but on papers (newspapers as well as official), the results/outcome/impact etc are shown maximum as the Forest Department has done wonders.
The seminars/debates/competitions are organized mostly in cities at schools/colleges/university where intellectuals/academicians/ and scholars are taught to protect the forests. They are appealed not to cut the green trees but has anyone ever realized where the problem lies? Where the focus of Government in creating awareness about the importance of green forests is restricted to cities only; the people in higher reaches of the state are not aware about the importance of green forests. They even don’t know about the loss of cutting a green tree. The Government has to change its strategy if it really wants to protect the green forest of Jammu and Kashmir state. Instead of cities, the people living in unconnected villages need to be educated about the importance of forests and environment.
If one goes by the man-animal conflict reports, people living in villages and higher reaches have been targeted by the wild animals because they have threatened and disturbed their habitations but instead of educating these people about the cause of man-animal conflict, the Department of Wildlife Protection is celebrating Wildlife Week and the functions are being organized in cities like in Srinagar at SKICC.
Instead of involving the villagers who are more responsible for man-animal conflict, university, school and college students, local people of the city, NGOs, representatives of print and electronic media, officers of the concerned department conservationists, experts, naturalists and representative of police are invited. Will such practices help in overcoming the real problems?
Though the Minister for Forest Mian Altaf Ahmad who was speaking at a function held today at SKICC said that at present thrust is being laid on preservation of environment throughout the world adding that it would prove fruitful when all of us would play a pivotal role to preserve and conserve forests, water bodies and environment, but will anybody act as per the appeal of minister? The government which seems in a deep slumber has to wake-up and start from the beginning. So the desired results are achieved before it slips out of our hands!
