logo
Weary border residents in Indian Kashmir struggle to survive

Weary border residents in Indian Kashmir struggle to survive

Yahoo09-05-2025

Mohammad Naseem says his neighbours laughed when he borrowed money and built a concrete bunker under his home in a village near the disputed Kashmir border.
But this week when mortar bombs rained in Salamabad, 38 people -- men, women, and children -- huddled in it as about a dozen shells exploded outside in quick succession.
One of them destroyed Naseem's home.
"Many of us would have died had we not moved into the bunker," Naseem, a 34-year-old hotel chef, told AFP.
"We grabbed our children and rushed inside. It got so packed that after some time we felt suffocated, two of our children became unconscious," he said.
"The children had to be hospitalised after daybreak when the shelling stopped."
Other villagers hid behind rocks and bushes on the mountain slopes. Some watched their homes being reduced to rubble.
Deadly confrontations between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan erupted after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing an April 22 attack on tourists on the Indian-run side of the disputed territory, which killed 26 people.
Pakistan denies the charge.
- 'Our life is worth nothing' -
"We took our children out and went up the mountain slope holding them tightly as bombs exploded around us," Naseer Ahmed Khan, 50, said outside his damaged house on Thursday.
"Our life is worth nothing. At any time entire families could be wiped out," Khan said. "Our children are not able to sleep and we cannot have a meal in peace."
The exchange of heavy fire has destroyed or severely damaged dozens of homes in Uri, about 100 kilometres (66 miles) from the Kashmir capital Srinagar, forcing many to flee to safer areas in towns like Baramulla, about 50 kilometres away.
Sajjad Shafi, a local lawmaker told AFP that about 10 percent of Uri's population -- some 22,000 people -- fled since the latest fighting began.
On Friday, many more were fleeing in buses and trucks provided by the government or driving off in their own cars.
"How can we stay here?" Rubina Begum said outside her destroyed home. "The government should lodge us somewhere safe".
Begum's daughter, Saima Talib, added: "We have nothing left except the clothes we are wearing".
Displaced people are struggling to find food and work and many are now sheltering in government buildings in Uri.
- 'Return empty' -
Mohammad Lateef Bhat, a road construction worker, said: "I work as a labourer with army's border roads organisation but their work also stopped."
"This morning I came to the market looking for work but there is nothing," Bhat said.
Some vegetable sellers briefly set up shop before closing.
Mohammad Bashir was also despondent.
"I came to the market to find some work so I can buy some food for my family (of eight) but there is nothing," Bashir, 60, said.
The death toll from India and Pakistan's biggest clashes in decades passed 50 on Friday with each accusing the other of staging drone attacks in waves.
Farooq Ahmed Khan, 35, a bus driver from Sultandhaki village near the border, said "this fighting has made our life miserable."
Nagni, a rare mixed settlement of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, sits on mountain slopes near the Indian army's border headquarters in Uri.
Villagers say 35 of the 50 families there have fled.
Badal, a 22-year-old student who only gave his first name, was cleaning up after his sister's wedding at his freshly painted home.
- 'There should be war' -
He showed a crater caused by a mortar bomb that landed a few metres away on the night of the wedding.
"Luckily there was no loss of life but a lot of damage. What we need.. is bunkers, but there are none".
"This village has always been a target of Pakistani attacks in the past because the (Indian) army headquarters are nearby," said Sahil Kumar, another Nagni resident.
Locals say they are fed up.
"I say there should be a war just to decide where Kashmir goes," said Farooq Ahmed Khan, the bus driver.
"I will also go to fight in that war so that this trouble ends for good," Khan said.
pzb/ach/hmn

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rare Earth Curb To Affect Smartphone Makers, Price Hike Likely: Experts
Rare Earth Curb To Affect Smartphone Makers, Price Hike Likely: Experts

Entrepreneur

time3 hours ago

  • Entrepreneur

Rare Earth Curb To Affect Smartphone Makers, Price Hike Likely: Experts

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. As new restrictions on rare earth magnets imposed by China are starting to choke India's auto sector – heavily dependent on the import of the magnets – another sector which can be affected in the near future is smart phones. Smartphone makers might try to absorb the hit for a while, but if disruptions continue, it can lead to price hikes or even delays in new launches. In smartphones, magnets made from Neodymium and Dysprosium are used in speakers and microphones, haptic motors, and camera modules for OIS, etc. China holds almost a monopoly in processing rare earth elements. These rare earth metals are specially used to make powerful small size magnets that are found in almost every smartphone's components like in speakers, vibration units and display systems. As China tightens exports citing national security reasons, it has effects across the world. The problem: Price hike, delay in new launches "For India, this could lead to delays in getting key components or paying more to source them. Right now the bigger impact is being felt by sectors like electric vehicles but smartphones may also face similar issues in the coming time," said Munish Vaid, vice president, Primus Partners. Most Indian smartphone manufacturers depend on global supply chains which trace back to China. Therefore, even if India is not directly buying the raw material, any disruption at the source will affect the country. "While some of the final assembly for these components happens in India, rare earth magnet assembly for OIS, haptics, etc., is done outside India. While the auto sector might face the immediate effect of shortages and supply chain disruptions. Smartphones, although using less volume per unit of these magnets, given the sheer volume of smartphones produced, could see fewer advanced features, supply chain disruptions, or increased costs if the issue persists," said Parv Sharma, Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research. China's curbs on rare earth exports threaten not only India but also global supply chains. With China controlling about 60 percent of global rare earth mining and over 90 percent of processing capacity, countries are likely to face bottlenecks, despite efforts on localizing production. If the situation drags on, the costs of smartphones are likely to go up. "Smartphone makers usually plan ahead and have stock for a few months, but rare earth magnets are used in components like speakers and motors that are hard to replace on short notice. If Chinese exports slow down or prices rise, that added cost will eventually add up in the final product. It may not be huge at first, but for low-end smartphones, where margins are thin, these can either reduce margins for companies or consumers will have to bear the burden of price rise," explained Vaid. How can India seek immediate relief Indian OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers are likely to accelerate efforts to diversify rare earth sourcing from regions such as Australia, Africa, and Myanmar. In the short run, India should look at building reserves and sourcing from other friendly countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Russia or Brazil. These countries have rare earth deposits and are eager to reduce global dependence on China. India already has some rare earth reserves of its own. "We need to ramp up local processing and manufacturing capabilities. The government's production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes could be expanded to support this space. Also, we should invest in recycling, old smartphones and electronics contain magnets that can be reused if we set up the right infrastructure. At the same time, our manufacturers and tech companies need to innovate," Vaid added. "We expect a stronger push to develop domestic refining capabilities. The government may also ramp up exploration and extraction of rare earth reserves in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to strengthen long-term self-reliance in critical materials," said Soumen Mandal, senior analyst, Counterpoint Research. According to IDC, in the first quarter of 2025, India's smartphone shipments reached 32 million units. The number of phones made in India every year is big, hence, even a small increase in component prices can add up quickly. "With newer smartphones packing in more features, like better sound, stronger vibrations and advanced displays, the reliance on rare earths is increasing. The impact may not be as huge as in cars, but it is something that could affect both pricing and innovation down the line," Vaid explained. There will be challenges in the near term to increase value addition in India — in the longer-run India will have to look for alternative sources — increase local production and recycle to de-risk from the global supply chain.

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." - 'Increase the risks' - Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." - 'Make ends meet' - Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband's loans soared to over $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than $1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?" ash/pjm/sah/cms

India's $80 billion coal-power boom is running short of water
India's $80 billion coal-power boom is running short of water

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Yahoo

India's $80 billion coal-power boom is running short of water

By Krishna N. Das and Sarita Chaganti Singh CHANDRAPUR/SOLAPUR, India (Reuters) -April marks the start of the cruelest months for residents of Solapur, a hot and dry district in western India. As temperatures soar, water availability dwindles. In peak summer, the wait for taps to flow can stretch to a week or more. Just a decade ago, water flowed every other day, according to the local government and residents of Solapur, some 400 km inland from Mumbai. Then in 2017, a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant run by state-controlled NTPC began operations. It provided the district with energy - and competed with residents and businesses for water from a reservoir that serves the area. Solapur illustrates the Catch-22 facing India, which has 17% of the planet's population but access to only 4% of its water resources. The world's most populous country plans to spend nearly $80 billion on water-hungry coal plants by 2031 to power growing industries like data center operations. The vast majority of these new projects are planned for India's driest areas, according to a power ministry document reviewed by Reuters, which is not public and was created for officials to track progress. Many of the 20 people interviewed by Reuters for this story, which included power company executives, energy officials and industry analysts, said the thermal expansion likely portended future conflict between industry and residents over limited water resources. Thirty-seven of the 44 new projects named in the undated power ministry shortlist of future operations are located in areas that the government classifies as either suffering from water scarcity or stress. NTPC, which says it draws 98.5% of its water from water-stressed areas, is involved in nine of them. NTPC said in response to Reuters' questions that it is "continuously striving towards conservation of water with best of our efforts in Solapur," including using methods like treating and reusing water. It did not answer queries about potential expansion plans. India's power ministry has told lawmakers in parliament, most recently in 2017, that the locations of coal-fired power plants are determined by factors including access to land and water and that state governments are responsible for allocating water to them. Access to land is the dominant consideration, two federal groundwater board officials and two water researchers told Reuters. India's complex and arcane land laws have delayed many commercial and infrastructure projects for years, so power operators under pressure to meet burgeoning demand pick areas where they are likely to face little resistance, said Rudrodip Majumdar, an energy and environment professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru. "They look for areas with easy land availability - minimum resistance for maximum land - even if water is available only far away," he said. The federal power ministry, as well as energy and water authorities in Maharashtra state, where Solapur is located, did not respond to queries. Delhi attempted to reduce its reliance on coal before reversing track after the COVID pandemic. It has invested heavily in renewable energy sources like solar and hydro, but thirsty thermal power will still be dominant for the coming decades. India's former top energy bureaucrat Ram Vinay Shahi said ready access to power was strategically important for the country, whose per-capita power consumption is far lower than its regional rival China. "The only energy resource we have in the country is coal," he said. "Between water and coal, preference is given to coal." 'NOTHING' IN SOLAPUR? Solapur resident Rajani Thoke plans her life around water in high summer. On days with supply, "I do not focus on anything other than storing water, washing clothes and such work," said the mother of two, who strictly polices her family's water use. Sushilkumar Shinde, the federal power minister who approved the Solapur plant in 2008, when the area had already been classified "water scarce," told Reuters he helped NTPC procure the land by negotiating payments to locals. The member of the opposition Congress party, who won election to retain Solapur's parliamentary seat a year after the plant's approval, defended the operation on grounds of NTPC's sizable investment. The $1.34 billion plant generated thousands of jobs during its construction and now provides part-time employment to about 2,500 locals. "I made sure farmers got good money for the land NTPC acquired," he said, adding that mismanagement by local authorities was to blame for water shortages. Solapur municipal official Sachin Ombase acknowledged that water distribution infrastructure had not kept up with population growth, but said that authorities were trying to address the problem. Shinde said "there was nothing" in Solapur in 2008 and that residents who received land payments had no reason to oppose the plant. Researcher Shripad Dharmadhikary, who founded environment advocacy group Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, said local politicians often supported splashy infrastructure projects to boost their popularity. Any "problems come up much later," he said. Even before the Solapur plant started operating, there were signs of the trouble to come. The first of its two units was supposed to start generating power by the middle of 2016, but it was delayed by more than 12 months because of years of severe water shortages, according to a 2020 regulatory filing. The absence of nearby water resources meant the station ended up drawing on water from a reservoir about 120 km away. Such distances can sharply increase costs and the risk of water theft, said Dharmadhikary and two plant sources. As of May 2023, the station is among India's least water-efficient, according to the latest available federal records. It also has among the lowest capacity utilization rates of coal-fired plants, according to data from government think-tank NITI Aayog. NTPC said its data indicates the Solapur plant has an efficiency ratio in line with the country's norms. Indian stations typically consume twice as much water as their global counterparts, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment think-tank. Solapur plant officials told reporters in March that capacity utilization will improve with increasing demand, indicating that water consumption could surge in the future. A forthcoming survey on water use in Solapur led by state groundwater authorities and reviewed by Reuters showed that irrigation demand in the district outstrips supply by a third. Dharmes Waghmore owns farmland a few miles from the plant and said that developing it would provide more financial security than his current casual work. But he said borrowing money to develop the land by drilling a bore well is too risky: "What if there's no water?" Kuladeep Jangam, a top local official, said authorities were struggling to draw businesses to Solapur. The lack of "water neutralizes all other pull factors," he said. THIRST FOR WATER Since 2014, India has lost 60.33 billion units of coal-power generation across the country - equivalent to 19 days of coal-power supply at June 2025 levels - because water shortages force plants to suspend generation, according to federal data. Among the facilities that have struggled with shortages is the 2,920 MW Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, one of India's largest. Located about 500 km northeast of Solapur but also in a water-stressed area, the plant shuts several of its units for months at a time when the monsoon delivers less rain than usual, according to NITI Aayog data. Despite the challenges, the plant is considering adding 800 MW of new capacity, according to the power ministry list seen by Reuters and half a dozen sources at Mahagenco, which operates the station. The document indicates the plant hasn't identified a water source for the expansion, though it has already sourced its coal. State-owned Mahagenco did not respond to Reuters' questions. The plant's thirst for water has previously led to tensions with residents of nearby Chandrapur city. Locals protested the station during a 2017 drought, prompting officials such as local lawmaker Sudhir Mungantiwar to order it to divert water to homes. Mungantiwar, however, says he supports the expansion of the plant, which he hopes will lead to it retiring water-inefficient older units. But the station has already delayed a plan to decommission two polluting and water-guzzling power units with a capacity of 420 MW by about seven years, citing instructions from the federal government, the company sources said. The Indian government asked power companies not to retire old thermal plants until the end of the decade due to a surge in demand following the pandemic, Reuters has reported. Chandrapur resident Anjali, who goes by one name, said she is resigned to visiting a tap installed by the station near one of its gates for drinking water. "We're poor, we make do with whatever we can get," she said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store