Harshest Winter Period 'Chillai Kalan' Ends in Kashmir

The 40-day period of harshest winter, known as "Chillai-Kalan", ended today as Kashmir Valley witnessed the driest winter in the last three decades with the lowest ever precipitation in January.

"This was one of the driest winters in the last three decades. It was in 1986 that the Valley witnessed such dry winter," Director MeT office, Sonam Lotus told PTI.

Sonam Lotus said the precipitation in January was the lowest ever this year.

"The previous lowest precipitation was in January 2007 when it was 7 mm but this January it was recorded at only 4 mm. The normal for the period is 50 mm, so we can say that the weather was almost dry this winter," the director said.

He said though there were Western Disturbances which result in higher precipitation, the frequency of strong ones was rare.

 

Read: News in Hindi and Newspaper

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Indo-Pak talks not at the cost of dignity, self-respect: Nawaz Sharif

He told reporters on his return from Kathmandu where he attended the SAARC Summit at which he and Modi shook hands, that Pakistan was against "talks for the sake of talking".
  
"The meeting of the foreign secretaries has been cancelled but we can exchange greetings. We can at least ask about each other's well-being. We shook hands," he said on his first brief interaction with Modi at the SAARC retreat at Dhulikhel yesterday.
  
Sharif said he twice shook hands with his Indian counterpart and exchanged pleasantries at the SAARC Summit. 
  
He said Pakistan desires a "meaningful" dialogue to resolve all issues including the Kashmir dispute.
  
Sharif also stated that if India wants to restore ties, the Kashmir issue must be discussed and "that too seriously with full sincerity".
  
"Foreign Secretary level talks were cancelled by India. Pakistan's dignity, self respect and reputation should not be marred. Keeping this in mind, talks should be result-oriented.
  
"If both sides want to solve the problem forever we should have serious talk over the contentious issues, including Kashmir," he said.
  
"We shouldn't just talk for the sake of talking, intention should be right. We should move ahead with right intentions," Sharif said.
  
Sharif said India should not have cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks, insisting that there was "nothing new" in consulting Kashmiri leaders ahead of a dialogue.
  
"We had been talking to the Kashmiri leaders in the past whenever Pakistan-India talks are held. This is nothing new as we have to seek the opinion of the Kashmiri leaders on an issue that concerns them the most," Sharif said.
  
Consultations held by Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi with Kashmiri separatists led to the cancellation of Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad in August. Since then both countries have maintained that they are willing to engage in a meaningful dialogue provided the other side takes the initiative.
  
Sharif said that India should not have cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks as was agreed upon during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his swearing in at New Delhi in May.

Source: News in Hindi And Newspaper

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News in Hindi: Jammu Kashmir never merged with India: Omar

जम्मू [जागरण ब्यूरो]। मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला का कहना है कि विशेष दर्जे वाले जम्मू-कश्मीर का भारत से विलय संपूर्ण नहीं है। चार शर्तो के साथ राज्य का देश से विलय जरूर हुआ था, लेकिन अन्य प्रदेशों की तरह वह पूर्ण रूप से देश से नहीं जुड़ पाया। यही कारण है कि राज्य का अपना अलग संविधान और ध्वज है।

श्रीनगर में बुधवार को एक बैठक के दौरान यूरोपियन यूनियन के प्रतिनिधिमंडल में शामिल विभिन्न देशों के राजदूतों से बातचीत में उमर ने कहा कि जिन चार शर्तो पर विलय हुआ था वे मुद्रा, संचार, विदेशी मामले व सुरक्षा हैं। यूरोपियन प्रतिनिधिमंडल इन दिनों कश्मीर के हालात का जायजा लेने के लिए राज्य के दौरे पर है। उमर ने कहा राजनीतिक पृष्ठभूमि वाली समस्याओं का हल राजनीतिक फ्रेमवर्क में संभव है। पैसे से या जोर जबरदस्ती से समाधान नहीं होगा। कश्मीर समस्या वर्ष 1990 में आतंकवाद के साथ नहीं बल्कि विभाजन के समय शुरू हुई थी, जब जम्मू-कश्मीर को छोड़ अन्य सभी राज्यों का फैसला कर दिया गया था।

मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि कश्मीर समस्या के समाधान के लिए जरूरी है कि इसके आंतरिक व बाहरी पहलुओं को देखते हुए केंद्र सरकार, अलगाववादियों व भारत-पाकिस्तान में बातचीत की प्रक्रिया शुरू हो।

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