Thread: Indian Kashmir officials publish nuke prep warning

January 22, 2013, 10:29 PM

Indian Kashmir officials publish nuke prep warning


A Kashmiri Muslim reads a notice with instructions concerning a response to nuclear weapons issued by the police in the previous day's newspaper in Srinagar on January 22, 2013. / ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images

SRINAGAR, India Officials in Indian-controlled Kashmir are warning residents to be prepared for a possible nuclear war by building build bomb-proof basements and collecting two weeks' worth of food and water.

Local officials said the advisory was routine, though it was the first time it had been published in a newspaper. They said it did not signal new concerns about a nuclear attack in the region, repeatedly fought over by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

A series of deadly skirmishes along the cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between the two countries, and the timing of the advisory surprised many residents in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This is fueling an atmosphere of fear. Educating people is fine but not this brazen way," said resident Fayaz Ahmed.
The notice, published Monday by the Kashmir police in the Greater Kashmir newspaper, advised people to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house their entire families for two weeks. If there is no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised.

The shelters should be stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios, it said, adding that stores of nonperishable food and water should be regularly replaced to ensure it is fresh.

The notice said that during a nuclear attack, motorists should dive out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles.

"Expect some initial disorientation as the blast wave may blow down and carry away many prominent and familiar features," it advises.

It also warns residents to keep people contaminated by fallout out of their shelters.

Yoginder Kaul, inspector-general at the civil defense and state disaster response force, said the advisory was part of a normal campaign to educate the public, and the information has been available on a government website for some time.

"We routinely train and educate people regarding different natural and man-made disasters and that's our duty. This advertisement too was part of such a campaign.

Please, let's not read into this beyond that. Let it be clear that this is purely in the nature of educating people and not connected with anything else," he said.

Both India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.

Earlier this month, three Pakistani soldiers and two Indian soldiers were killed in the worst bout of fighting in Kashmir since a cease-fire accord was signed by the countries in 2003.

In light of the violence, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday he was reviewing future ties with Pakistan.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57565308/indian-kashmir-officials-publish-nuke-prep-warning/

India Officials in Indian-controlled Kashmir are warning residents to be prepared for a possible nuclear war by building build bomb-proof basements and collecting two weeks' worth of food and water.

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Such a basement would be better constructed than 99% of all Indian housing, which is not saying much ..

Population Forecast: India to Overtake China by 2025

Primarily through immigration, the United States is expected to add roughly 111 million people to its total population by 2050, maintaining its current ranking of third on the list with a projected population of around 422 million.

Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 by 2point6billion.com

Jun. 29 – India will overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by 2025 and the combined populations of the two countries will reach nearly 3 billion by 2050, according to projections released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this week.
The bureau’s forecasts suggest that India will add some 467 million people to its population over the next 39 years, much more than any other nation. China, meanwhile, is expected to see its total population drop by 33 million.

By percentage increases, however, India is far from first. Ethiopia’s population is forecast to triple in size to 278 million and Nigeria is set to more than double to 402 million over the same time-frame, making them the seventh and fourth most populous countries, respectively.

Primarily through immigration, the United States is expected to add roughly 111 million people to its total population by 2050, maintaining its current ranking of third on the list with a projected population of around 422 million.

Russia and Japan, however, are slated to fall out of the top 10 most populous countries list largely due to persistently low fertility rates. Both countries are expected to see a drop in overall population, Russia by more than 29 million people and Japan by about 20 million.

Below is a chart of the top 25 most populous countries today and the U.S. Census Bureau’s population forecasts for each through to 2050. For a complete list of all 228 countries and regions included in the database, please click here.


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