Nine more telephone exchanges restored in Kashmir, internet snapped in Jammu

Landline and mobile phone services and Internet were suspended in Kashmir Valley in the early hours of August 5 before the Centre announced its move to abrogate provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and divide the state into two Union Territories

Jammu and Kashmir authorities made 10 more telephone exchanges operational in Kashmir Valley on Sunday, but again snapped services of one of the 17 centres restored on Saturday, officials said.

Security personnel stand guard at a check point during restrictions in Srinagar, Sunday, Aug 18, 2019. (PTI)

The authorities closed one of the 17 exchanges after reports that landline phones were being used for spreading misinformation campaign, they said.

With these, around 28,000 fixed-line phones, out of around 50,000 in Kashmir Valley, were functional.

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The exchanges that opened on Sunday were in areas around Dal Lake, Civil Secretariat and Nishat in Srinagar district; Pattan, Boniyar and Baramulla town in north Kashmir; Chaboora, Chrar-e-Shariff in Budgam district; and Aishmuqam in south Kashmir.

Landline and mobile phone services and Internet were suspended in Kashmir Valley in the early hours of August 5 before the Centre announced its move to abrogate provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and divide the state into two Union Territories.

Low-speed Internet services in Jammu region, which were made operational on Saturday, were snapped again on Sunday after it was found that a video clip with the potential to trigger communal tension were being circulated. However, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh said the 2G network has “temporarily been disconnected due to some technical reasons which is being rectified and efforts are on to ensure restoration as soon as possible”.

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh had warned that stern action would taken against anyone misusing Internet facility.

The government is planning to reopen only primary schools from Monday. Officials believe that there won’t be much attendance because of the restrictions.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam had recently said that schools will reopen from Monday.

The officials said stone-pelting incidents took place in various parts of Srinagar city on Saturday and Sunday, leaving many people injured. Security forces took various measures to contain the protests locally. Majority of the injured were discharged from hospitals after first-aid and only two people were being treated for pellet injuries, they said.

In Budgam, a man died when protests were going on in his locality. His family and the protesters claimed that he died in police action, but the post-mortem did not show any injury and doctors said he died due to heart attack.