Srinagar Diary

Express News Service
Kashmir’s Dal Lake brought under CCTV coverage  The Lakes and Waterways Authority has installed CCTV cameras at various checkpoints to monitor de-weeding process in the famous Dal Lake. As many as five CCTV cameras have been installed at vantage points, with more in the offing. Besides monitoring the de-weeding process, the CCTVs would help the administration curb illegal ferrying of construction material and encroachment. Officials said action would be taken against people carrying out in illegal constructions at the lake by taking advantage of the lockdown. Officials said that bringing the area under CCTV network would help the government’s efforts to preserve and conserve Dal Lake

Religious outfit offers its school to set up care centre  Religious group Anjuman-e-Islamia Bhaderwah has offered its Darsgah (school) building in the mountainous Doda district to the government for setting up a  200-bed Covid care centre. Doda has recorded 5,193 cases, of which 1,082 are active. So far, 82 patients have died in the district, while 4,029 have recovered. Anjuman Islamia Bhadarwah president Pervaiz Ahmed Sheikh said his organisation decided to complement the government efforts in fighting Covid-19 pandemic in Doda district. By offering its Darsgah (school), the organisation wants to add 200 beds for the car of Covid patients. It is the first instance of a religious organization offering its infrastructure to the government for setting up a Covid care centre in Jammu & Kashmir, where the second wave has strained the existing healthcare facilities.

5-bed care centre in each of 4,000 panchayatsLt Governor Manoj Sinha said that a five-bed Covid care centre would be set up in every panchayat of the Union Territory. To ensure total compliance, each panchayat has been given a strict timeframe. Each CCC would have at least one oxygen support bed. Adding this infrastructure to the existing one would augment the UT’s bed capacity by 20,000 beds spread over 4,000 panchayats. These are touted as the first line of treatment, with scope for referrals to higher facilities. Besides making available beds, oxygen support and medical kits at these these CCCs, officials plan to connect them to the nearest healthcare centres through an elaborate network of referral linkage. Principal secretary, rural development, would draw plan for a comprehensive mechanism to monitor the operationalisation 

Special inoculation drive for advocates launched in the UTAuthorities on Monday launched a drive to vaccinate advocates in the age group of 18-45. The drive would be carried out in eight of the 20 districts in Jammu and Kashmir. The districts selected for the drive are: Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla and Budgam districts in Kashmir, and Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Rajouri of Jammu region. The three-day drive would conclude on May 26. The decision came on a day the Centre allowed walk-in vaccination facility for those in the 18-44 at government hospitals across India.

Fayaz waniOur correspondent  in Jammu and Kashmir [email protected]