Latest news with #MudasirAhmad
United News of India
2 days ago
- United News of India
J&K ACB traps and arrests Postal Assistant at Bandipora
Srinagar, July 14 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau today trapped and arrested a postal assistant in Bandipora district while demanding and allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6500. ACB said they received a complaint from a resident of Bandipora against Mudasir Ahmad, postal assistant posted at sub post office Bandipora for demanding bribe. The complainant alleged that he had taken a loan under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for a mobile and electronic equipment business. While the bank had released the loan amount, the subsidy was pending and required a physical inspection by the Bandipora post office. During this process, the official in charge, Mudasir Ahmad, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 6,500 to clear the subsidy. On receipt of the complaint, a secret verification was conducted by ACB which prima facie discloses commission of offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 on the part of the accused Mudasir Accordingly, a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla against accused Mudasir and the investigation was initiated . 'A trap was laid and the accused was caught red handed while demanding & accepting bribe from the complainant, he was immediately taken into custody after following due process of law. Further investigations are going on,' ACB said UNI MJR GNK
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Like a lost love returning after decades, Wular Lake's 'miraculous' lotus bloom leaves Kashmir teary-eyed
After nearly three decades, the pink lotus flowers have returned to Wular Lake in north Kashmir, bringing joy to both nature lovers and local residents. This revival comes thanks to dedicated conservation efforts after the 1992 floods damaged the lake's ecosystem and buried its famous lotus beds under thick layers of silt. Wular Lake, one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes, spans 200 square kilometres and stretches from the foothills of the Haramukh mountains in Bandipora to Sopore in Baramulla district. Once known for its rich biodiversity, the lake lost much of its charm after the 1992 floods, which deposited huge amounts of silt and wiped out the lotus plants. Abdul Hameed, a local resident, called the comeback 'nothing short of a miracle.' He said locals had tried dispersing lotus seeds earlier but they never grew due to the heavy silt. That changed when the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) started a massive desilting drive. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이 게임은 대부분의 TV 프로그램보다 더 재미있어요 – 게다가 무료예요. Raid: Shadow Legends 플레이하기 Undo According to Mudasir Ahmad, zonal officer at WUCMA, last year showed small signs of lotus revival. In 2025, the authority used special machines called Cutter Suction Dredgers to clear silt and improve water quality. This year, they also planted lotus seeds, which led to a fresh bloom covering nearly 3 square kilometres of the lake. Chief Conservator of Forests, Irfan Rasool, said the return of lotuses proves that the lake's ecological health is improving. Over 80 lakh cubic metres of silt have been removed so far. This not only restored the lake's depth and water-holding capacity but also allowed sunlight to reach the lakebed, helping dormant lotus roots grow again. Live Events The return of lotus plants has sparked new hope for the local economy. The edible stems of lotus, known as nadru in Kashmir, are a popular delicacy and a major source of income for many families. 'Nadru was missing for many years. Now we can grow and harvest it again,' said Mudasir Ahmad. The harvesting process is labour-intensive and involves diving into the water, but it provided seasonal work to hundreds in the past. Locals are now hopeful that the economy around the lake will thrive again. The revival of lotus plants is not the only good news. With better water quality and increased depth, the lake has become home to a wider range of aquatic life. WUCMA officials say several rare migratory birds have returned in the past two years. These include species like the Long-tailed Duck, Smew Duck, Great Bittern, Marbled Teal, and even the endangered Pallas's Fish-eagle. Locals like Hameed are urging people to keep the lake clean and protect its fragile biodiversity. 'We lost this beauty once because of our mistakes. We shouldn't let that happen again,' he said. As Wular Lake blossoms again with pink lotuses and birdsong, it stands as a reminder of what strong conservation efforts and community support can achieve. Inputs from PTI
Mint
6 days ago
- General
- Mint
Lotus blooms in Kashmir's Wular Lake after 3 decades, locals hope for livelihood revival
Lotus flowers have started blooming in Kashmir's Wular Lake after three decades. The reappearance of the flower crop in north Kashmir's river has renewed hope for communities that once depended on the lake for their livelihood. The flowers—known for their stems, nadru, a prized vegetable in the Valley's largely non-vegetarian cuisine—disappeared after the devastating 1992 floods deposited thick layers of silt across the lakebed. The revival of the lotus is being attributed to an ongoing desilting and restoration project by the Wular Lake Management Authority. The efforts, which started in 2020, aim to restore the lake's original depth and improve water flow by removing silt and waste carried by the Jhelum River and its tributaries. 'We thought this would never return,' Mohammad Yaqoob, a local farmer from Watlab village in the neighbourhood, told a local news agency in Kashmir. 'My father used to harvest lotus stems here. I used to help him when I was young. Then the flood came and everything changed,' he said Spread over nearly 200 square kilometres and located between the towns of Bandipora and Sopore, Wular Lake was once a major source of income for hundreds of families in the region from Asia's largest freshwater lake. The lotus stem, a staple in traditional Kashmiri cuisine, also provided seasonal employment,especially during the harsh winters when other livelihood options were scarce. Lotus also grows in Dal Lake and Manasbal Lake in the Valley. Officials said that while lotus stems hadn't been seen for decades, the plant's root structures remained buried beneath the silt. 'The lotus has seen a revival in areas where we have removed silt over the last few years. Since lotus seeds were buried deep inside the silt and soil, they couldn't grow. Now that the silt has been removed, lotus has again grown,' says Mudasir Ahmad, a zonal officer of the Wular Conservation and Management Authority, told the Indian Express. The desilting work has removed over 7.9 million cubic meters of silt from the lake so far, the officials said. This year, the authorities introduced lotus seeds in areas where dredging had been completed. The authorities involved in the conservation plan said the larger goal is to install retention basins along major streams to stop future silt and waste from entering the lake. Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of Laharwalpora, said local families had tried to reintroduce the lotus on their own. 'We threw seeds into the lake many times, but nothing grew,' he said. 'It's only now, after the silt was cleared, that we see the flowers again.' Ahmad told the news agency that the return of the lotus is not only a sign of ecological improvement but also a source of renewed economic activity for many households around the lake. We thought this would never return. Kashmir saw devastating floods in September 1992, which caused considerable damage to the rich ecosystem of Wular Lake by depositing a large quantity of silt that buried the lotus vegetation.
