The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC) of Jammu & Kashmir, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday, has approved notable initiatives to enhance the UT’s infrastructure and educational framework.

In a crucial decision, the AC greenlit the solarization of all government buildings in Jammu & Kashmir, targeting an aggregate capacity of 270 MW. The project, estimated to cost Rs 400 crore, will be executed in both Capex and RESCO modes.

Managed by the Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JKEDA), the initiative aims to leverage the vast rooftop spaces of government establishments for solar energy generation.

The plan includes installing Grid-Tied Rooftop solar power systems with bi-directional smart meters and Virtual Net Metering (VNM) benefits, enabling efficient energy adjustment across various government buildings.

The project, expected to be completed by December 2025, is projected to create over 10,800 jobs across highly skilled, skilled, and unskilled sectors. Additionally, the installation of 270 MW solar power plants is anticipated to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 8.3 million tons over 25 years.

The AC meeting, attended by Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and Principal Secretary to LG Mandeep K Bhandari, stressed accelerating the deployment of rooftop solar projects across all government-owned buildings in the UT.

In another key decision, the AC approved the continued affiliation of government polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Leh and Kargil with the J&K Board of Technical Education.

This decision, requested by the Union Territory of Ladakh, aims to benefit the students of the region by ensuring a smooth admission process and timely conduct of examinations. The affiliation will extend until the end of the academic session 2025-26 or until Ladakh establishes its own Board of Technical Education.

SRINAGAR — J&K and Ladakh Union Territories were mildly jolted on Friday after two separate earthquakes hit the former’s Baramulla district and the latter’s Leh district, showed the data on the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) on its website.

As per the news agency CNS, the figures on the NCS showed that a tremor of magnitude 4.1 hit the Baramulla area at around 12:26:24 IST, having a depth of 10 km.

Later, at around 02:02:29 IST, another earthquake of magnitude 3.6 jolted the Ladakh’s Leh district as per the NCS, with a depth of tremor measured as 20 km.

However, there were no reports of any damage to the property or casualty due to the earthquakes.

SRINAGAR — A Junior Commissioned Officer was among five soldiers killed when a tank met with an accident, close to LAC near Mandir Morh, in Leh district of Kargil.

Official sources quoted by the news agency GNS said that the incident took place around 3 am and the bodies of all soldiers have been recovered. Further investigation into this incident has been initiated.