The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The political face-off between the National Conference (NC) and BJP on Wednesday disrupted movement across large parts of Srinagar, with commuters and pedestrians facing traffic jams, roadblocks and restrictions as security forces moved to contain rival protest marches.

The disruption was particularly felt in Raj Bagh, Jawahar Nagar, Ikhraj Pora, Iqbal Park and Hari Singh High Street, affecting movement through residential, commercial and connecting routes in the city.

The National Conference had assembled at Raj Bagh before marching towards the BJP headquarters in Jawahar Nagar, while the BJP gathered in the Lal Chowk area for its planned march towards the Civil Secretariat.

Police stopped the NC protesters from proceeding towards Jawahar Nagar, while the BJP march was also halted on its route towards the Civil Secretariat.

Roads leading towards the BJP headquarters were sealed, while entry points around Ghanta Ghar were restricted to vehicles. Traffic was diverted onto adjoining routes, adding to congestion in surrounding areas.

Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers in Jawahar Nagar, Raj Bagh and other key locations.

The restrictions also affected pedestrians, with movement along several stretches becoming difficult as barricades, security deployments and protest gatherings occupied road space.

For residents, office-goers, traders, patients and other commuters, the political confrontation resulted in delays and difficulties in reaching their destinations.

The disruption came as both parties took their political differences to the streets. The NC was demanding restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees, while the BJP was targeting the Omar Abdullah-led government over issues including employment and governance.

The competing protest programmes turned several normally busy civilian routes into security-controlled stretches, with commuters facing diversions and congestion as police sought to prevent the two groups from converging.

SRINAGAR — MBBS interns across Jammu and Kashmir continued their protest for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding revision of their monthly internship stipend to ₹30,000.

The interns held peaceful demonstrations at medical institutions across the Union Territory, reiterating their demand for a substantial revision in the stipend and implementation of the pending proposal.

The protest continued despite Health Minister Sakina Itoo stating that the interns’ demand was genuine and that a proposal for an increase had already been processed and forwarded to the Finance Department for examination of its financial implications.

The protesting interns, however, said repeated assurances had failed to result in a concrete decision and maintained that they would continue their agitation until the stipend was actually revised.

The interns argued that the existing stipend does not adequately reflect the workload, responsibilities and clinical services they perform during their internship.

On the second day of the protest, interns carried placards and raised slogans in support of their demand, while urging the government to take a time-bound decision on the pending revision.

The interns also maintained that their agitation was not directed against patients or healthcare services, but was aimed at seeking what they described as a fair and dignified stipend for the work performed during their internship.

REASI — The Chenab River witnessed a fresh rise in water level in Reasi district on Tuesday after four gates of the Salal Dam were opened to regulate increased inflow into the reservoir.

The gates were opened as rainfall continued across the upper catchment areas, resulting in a substantial increase in the volume of water entering the reservoir.

The excess water was released downstream in a controlled manner to regulate the reservoir level as authorities kept a close watch on the situation.

The latest rise in the Chenab comes amid ongoing rainfall activity in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, with water levels in rivers and other water bodies being monitored by the concerned authorities.

The controlled release from the Salal Dam is aimed at managing the increased inflow and maintaining the reservoir within safe operating levels.