Srinagar Diary | Ist J&K Budget session in 7 years from March 3
The first budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Assembly will begin on March 3. For the first time in seven years, an elected government will present the budget. The last J&K budget was presented in the Assembly on January 11, 2018, by Dr Haseeb Drabu, the erstwhile finance minister of the PDP-BJP government, for financial year 2018-19, worth `80,313 crore. It would be the second session of the J&K Assembly after formation of the Omar Abdullah government. The first session was held in November, when the government passed a resolution calling for restoration of special status to J&K.
Rare Eurasian Otter spotted in Gurez Valley
The endangered Eurasian Otter has been spotted in Gurez Valley in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district. A wildlife official said the otters were spotted in the centrally located tehsil of Dawar in Gurez Valley on the banks of the Kishanganga River a few days back. The official said the first documented sighting of these otters in recent times happened in August 2023 when researchers unintentionally recorded images of two Eurasian Otters near Tarbal, close to the Line of Control. Eurasian Otter is “Near Threatened” species, primarily due to destruction of its habitat and pollution.
Harshest winter days of ‘Chilai Kalan’ end
The 40-day period of harshest winter in Kashmir, known as ‘Chilai Kalan,’ ended on January 30. Chillai Kalan, which started December 21, is a period when chances of snowfall are maximum, and temperatures stay several degrees below freezing during night. During Chilai Kalan, both nights and days are colder. This year’s Chilai Kalan proved to be particularly harsh with bone-chilling cold as nighttime temperatures dropped to -8.5 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on the very first day of Chilai Kalan on December 21, 2024, breaking the 50-year-old record in the Valley. Climate experts linked the unusual weather pattern in the Valley to the dry spell.
Fayaz wani
Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir
fayazwani123@gmail.com