Six Indian Air Force aircraft carrying relief material, rescue workers and doctors landed in Leh on Saturday to provide succour to the people of the region affected by cloudburst and flash floods.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed the Border Roads Organisation to clear the Manali-Leh highway within next three days and asked the officials engaged in relief work to ensure that procedural formalities do not delay the operation. The highway which got swept away by flash floods triggered by a cloudburst on Friday is one of the two road links between the 'cold desert' and other parts of the country.
Twenty bodies were on Saturday pulled out from slush and debris in Leh town ravaged by flash floods, raising the toll to 132 even as rescuers intensified operations in the high altitude terrain to search for 600 missing people.
'If the central government does not give rights to the people of Ladakh, then it won't be good for our country.'
An Army Major, who was involved in the recent bloody clashes among military personnel in Leh, had approached Jammu and Kashmir police to register a case against a Sepoy for allegedly molesting his wife.
Army officials in Leh were a part of a meeting convened by the Jammu and Kashmir government that agreed that China was encroaching into the land with "specific design" to grab a particular area to extend its control till Indus river.
Curfew was relaxed for a few hours in Leh and Kargil Tuesday, which had witnessed widespread violence over reports of alleged desecration of Quran at a mosque, following an improvement in situation in the twin districts, officials said.
'Ladakh has become a hollow UT.' 'Bureaucrats from Delhi rule Ladakh and there is no attention paid to the grievances of the people.'
Groups of tourists on trekking expeditions, people crowding at eating joints, devotees flocking shrines -- life in cloudburst devastated Leh district is gradually limping back to normal. As you enter the Changspa village, the scenes are a contrast to the death and devastation visible a week ago after cloudburst and flashfloods hit the region on August 5.
The cold conditions returned in Kashmir division as the night temperature in most places, including Leh, plunged further below the freezing point followed with clear skies and unusual sunny days.
The army and police on Saturday rescued 400 civilians trapped in landslides at Khardung La Pass, the world's highest motorable road.
Delhiites woke up to a chilly morning with the mercury dipping to 6.8 degree Celsius, a drop of nearly five notches from Saturday when the minimum settled at 11.5 degree.
The army on Saturday said the clash involving men and officers of the an artillery regiment near Leh can be termed as an "isolated act of indiscipline" and not a mutiny.
'If the BJP does not change its stand, we will hope that those who are in favour of protecting Ladakh come to power.'
Rediff.com's Reuben N V, who is attending the revered Kalachakra ceremony in Leh, sends us these fascinating photographs.
Notwithstanding the sweltering heat engulfing major cities, travellers can find solace in the steady airfares to popular summer destinations like Srinagar, Bagdogra, and Kochi. According to airline executives, capacity increases and moderate demand have kept spot airfares from scorching cities like Delhi on a par with the same period last year.
The T-72 tank with five soldiers on board sank due to flash floods while they were crossing the river.
'The beautiful valleys dotted by standing trees, white rocks and gushing streams were an instant respite for our sleep-deprived eyes.'
On Friday, November 10, the high reaches of Himachal Pradesh experienced a fresh spell of snowfall, causing significant disruptions in vehicular traffic along the Manali-Leh and Kaza highways.
The Centre has formed three task forces for Leh, Kargil and Jammu to examine the developmental needs of the regions, with particular reference to deficiencies in infrastructure and make suitable recommendations. The Union Home Ministry has finalised the three teams in consultations with the state government, which will go into the details of the developments in these three regions, official sources said on Tuesday.
The External Affairs ministry was at odds with the Jammu and Kashmir government over reports on Chinese intrusion in Ladakh, saying no such incident had taken place and the media reports carrying the same were "baseless".
Around 100 American nationals have been affected by the flash floods in Leh, the United Sttaes said, adding its embassy in New Delhi has dispatched a team to the region to provide them necessary help.
Almost all the persons rescued from the flash floods that hit Leh town and nearby areas had a common injury while escaping the mud fury--deep abrasions and cuts on faces.
A large number of passengers, almost 2,000 of them, were stranded due to cancellation of flights owing to bad weather, on Thursday protested at the Leh airport.
After dating for almost four years, Rakul Singh and Jackky Bhagnani are set to get married on February 21.
Clashes erupted between Muslims and Buddhists at Bodh Kharboo in Kargil area after some unidentified persons tore off pages of the holy book in a mosque there.
Curfew was imposed Thursday in Leh town and the army staged a flag march following clashes between Muslims and Buddhists triggered by reports of alleged desecration of the Quran at a mosque in Kargil.
Rescue and relief efforts were going on at war-footing in cloudburst-hit Leh region, as 81 foreigners and six tour guides were on Monday rescued by the Air Force from Zanskar Valley. The death toll has mounted to 165 and 400 others remain missing.
Leh and Kargil towns in Ladakh region recorded the season's coldest night as the cold wave intensified in Jammu and Kashmir after a slight respite for few days.
Indian and Chinese troops had come face to face in Chumar area of Ladakh in July when the latter transgressed into Indian territory along the Line of Actual Control. Army sources said after the two sides came face to face in Chumar -- which is northeast of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir -- they both showed banners as per the agreed drills and returned to their respective positions peacefully.
The four young men from Chittur in Palakkad district who died in a car accident in Jammu and Kashmir on December 5 are remembered by their village as 'hardworking youth' who used to go on such trips everywhere.
Sonam Wangchuk, a key campaigner for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, on Monday said they would launch a fast unto death from February 19 to press their demands and that details of participation of local residents in the agitation were being worked out.
On Monday, April 10, 2023, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugrated the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
The Union Territory of Ladakh created history by successfully conducting its maiden 21-km trail running event in sub-zero temperature at 13,862 feet high Pangong Tso.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with senior Cabinet ministers, arrived in Leh on Tuesday on a day-long visit to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation work undertaken in the aftermath of the recent flash floods. He is expected to announce a Rs 250-crore package for the victims. The prime minister is accompanied by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah.
Rijiju complimented Rahul for promoting the excellent roads built in the Himalayan region under Modi's leadership.
One hopes the new Lok Sabha will mark a break from a dismal tradition -- lack of interest in defence and security policies, argues Colonel Anil A Athale.
The Commission has desired to incorporate Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) and facial recognition of candidates, scanning of QR Code of e-admit cards and monitoring through live AI-based CCTV video surveillance, it said.
The Ladakh Scouts of the Army has sought financial assistance from India Inc for re-building the lone Army school in Leh which has been badly damaged by the cloudburst.The Army school, which caters to nearly 200 students, was hit by hundreds of boulders that rolled down the hill along with slush on the night of August 5. The classrooms are now filled with slush and boulders. The hostel too has been severely hit.
"I think we're aware right now of about 135 US citizens affected by the floods. We have no reports of deaths or injuries," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said. "As of Wednesday, I think there were still a handful of American citizens that we had not yet had contact with, so I would assume at this point that we have not accounted for everybody, but at this point we're not aware of anybody that has been killed or injured," Crowley said.
