Author: Noc Team

Hiking trek to Dudipatsar Lake..

Dudiptsar Lake or Dudipat Lake is a lake encircled by snow clad peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northern Pakistan. The word “dudi” means white and “sar” means lake. This name has been given to the lake because of the white color of snow at surrounding peaks. In summer the water of the lake reflects like a mirror. The word “sar” is used with the name of each lake in the area, translating as ‘lake.

The lake’s water is a beautiful greenish blue hue and very cold, at an elevation of 3,800 metres (12,500 ft). The surrounding mountains, with snow patches in the shady dales, average around 4,800 metres (15,700 ft) in elevation. Their natural habitat is in the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion. The lake and its wetlands habitats are of significant ecological importance for resident fauna and migratory waterfowl.  Some of the park’s fauna includes the Snow leopard, Black bear, Marmot, Weasel, Lynx, Leopard, Himalayan Snowcock, and the Snow partridge.

Lulusar Lake, also in the park, is the primary headwaters of the Kunhar River. Saiful Muluk National Park, with Saif ul Maluk Lake, is adjacent in the 150 kilometres (93 mi) long Kaghan Valley region and together the parks protect 88,000 hectares (220,000 acres).

The lake and park is accessible for four months of the year from June to late September. In the summer, when the mirror-like water reflects the scenery, visitors from different regions of the country and from abroad travel to enjoy the enchanting views. It is about a four hour drive from the town of Naran. The road is not entirely accessible for cars, even Jeeps. From Besal onwards visitors trek in vast alpine meadows to reach Dudiptsar Lake. The lake had an abundance of trout, but illegal fishing with dynamite and nets resulted in a sharp fish population decline. It is advised to not track it in snow, as it is an avalanche prone area.

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake in North Pakistan made access more difficult. However since 2006 the Pakistan government has taken ‘all steps’ to restore tourism in the Kaghan Valley, including rebuilding and new tourism facilities and infrastructure.

 

Dudipatsar Lake

Students addicted on rote learning

It is surprising to see university students, especially in the public sector universities, seeking notes from their course incharges and expecting some hint from teachers about the “important questions” that will be taken for the mid-term or terminal examinations.

Visit to various classrooms in the Arts Faculty revealed that the lecturers delivered their lectures in a monologue and the students, in most cases, were just listeners. Sometimes the students mustered courage and dared discuss some points of the lecture. In a majority of cases the teachers took it as an affront to their professionalism.

National media workshop serial-4 starts at NDU

Two-week long National Media Workshop Serial-4 started at National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad. Over seventy participants including eminent journalists, from all over the country along with some parliamentarians and persons from other segments of the society are participating in this workshop. The aim of the workshop is to discuss the importance of media as an element of national power in the pursuit of national interests and also to debate core issues confronting Pakistan.

President National Defence University, Lieutenant General Agha Muhammad Umer Farooq, in his opening address highlighted the importance and scope of the National Media Workshop. He stressed upon the role of media in perception building, shaping attitudes and behaviours, developing ethical values and culture of tolerance in a nation.

NASA caught yet again faking atmosphere data

One of the big threats from the global warming moon bat types is that a rise in temperature will melt the polar ice caps causing the oceans to rise, with the cataclysmic result of skyscrapers being under water. Let’s face it, if you think that the commute into Manhattan is bad now… just wait.

There is only one problem with this scenario, Mother Nature isn’t being cooperative. You see it is true that sea level has risen during the 20th century and probably well before that. Scientists estimate that sea level has increased by 7 inches during the 2oth century. The climate change hoaxers use computer models to predict that sea levels would rise anywhere from 15 inches to 2o feet because of global warming in the 21st century. But Mother Nature was never good at computer science. Satellite data proved that the first decade of the 21st century sea level grew by only 0.83 inches. What’s even worse there has been no rise since 2006.

The NASA-funded group claims glacial melt is removing weight that had been pressing down on land masses, which in turn is causing land mass to rise. This welcome news mitigates sea-level rise from melting glacial ice, meaning sea level will rise less than previously thought. However, it is very inconvenient for alarmist sea level predictions. Therefore, instead of reporting the amount by which sea level is rising in the real world, the Sea Level Research Group has begun adding 0.3 millimeters per year of fictitious sea level rise to “compensate” for rising land mass. This isn’t the first time NASA climate-change scientists have fudged data.

Google to launch mobile bill payment system

Google Inc will launch a mobile payment system on Thursday, in the latest bid to help consumers pay at the checkout with smartphones instead of traditional credit cards, a person familiar with the matter said. Google will work with MasterCard Inc, the world’s second-largest credit and debit card processing network, to launch the system, the source said.

The world’s largest Internet search engine has been working with MasterCard and Citigroup Inc to develop a mobile payments system. Citigroup did not immediately respond to requests for comment and MasterCard declined to comment.

eShop website of Sony Ericsson Hacked

Hackers have attacked Sony Ericsson’s Canadian eShop website, affecting 2,000 users, the latest online strike against the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant, a Sony spokesman said on Wednesday.
Sony Ericsson eShop site Hacked cause loss of $ 3.2 Billion. The new security breach follows a massive theft of personal data from Sony’s PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment services, including names, passwords and addresses from more than 100 million accounts.

And on Tuesday Sony said its websites in three countries had been hacked with 8,500 Greek user accounts compromised, while sites in Thailand and Indonesia were also affected. The most recent attack — targeting the mobile phone joint venture between Sony and Sweden’s Ericsson — was discovered on Tuesday local time, and the affected website was shut down, a Sony spokesman told.

PHF rewarded hockey players cash prizes

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday awarded a total cash prize of Rs nine million to the Pakistan hockey team for winning the 11th South Asian Games earlier this year in Dhaka. PHF secretary general Mohammad Asif Bajwa distributed the cash awards among the players at National Hockey Stadium. The cash awards were announced by Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani for the team while acknowledging their achievement in Bangladesh.

Pakistan retain sixth position on ICC Test ranking

Pakistan have retained sixth position on the ICC Test Championship table after recording a convincing 196-run victory over the West Indies in the second Test in St Kitts to draw the two-Test series. Pakistan were in danger of swapping places with seventh-ranked West Indies after the home side had won the first Test by 40 runs in Guyana.

In the past eight years, Pakistan have thrice dropped to as low as seventh (June 2003, August 2005 and January 2010). However, the drawn series means Pakistan have conceded one ratings point and are now on 90 with fifth-ranked Australia 17 ratings points ahead and West Indies four ratings points behind. Meanwhile, Misbah’s third Test century has provided him a jump of eight places which has earned him a career-best ranking of 22nd. He is now the second highest-ranked Pakistan batsman after Younus Khan who is in 17th position despite missing the series. Taufiq’s fifth Test century has given him a boost of 20 places and he now sits in 53rd position. Umar Akmal is the other Pakistan batsman to head in the right direction as he is now in 35th position after rising two places following his innings of 56 and 30.

Pakistan A beats Afghanistan

Pakistan A beat Afghanistan by five wickets in the first One-day International at Diamond Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Afghaistan captain Nowroz Mangal played sensibly and made 33 runs. Essa played some lovely shots while wickets kept on falling from the other end. Man of the match Nabi Essa played a sheet anchor role and his innings of 72 runs was a treat to watch. Afghanistan innings was wrapped up at 152 runs in 37.3 overs.

Talha grabbed three wickets for 29 runs in 7.3 overs, Captain Sohail Tanveer and Sadaf Hussain got two wickets each. Promising left arm bowler Zulfiqar Babar and right arm leg break bowler Yasir Shah also took one wicket each.

Pakistan A started their innings in a slow style. Shan Masood and Sharjeel Khan started the innings for Pakistan A but Shan was soon returned to the pavilion. He scored 5 runs. Amin with Sharjeel took score to 76 before Umer was out for 29. Pakistan A achieved the target for the lose of 5 wickets.

Fine bowling from the Afghan bowlers, ably supported by their fielders caused panic to batsmen who kept on throwing their wickets away. Afghan ground fielding and catching was superb, the fielders never allowed any batsmen to take sharp single and did not allow overthrow run to the Pakistan players.

PHF announces tour programme of Europe

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday announced the tour programme of national senior team to Europe in June and July this year. The programme will start with the participation of the team in UCD 4-Nation Hockey Tournament to be played in University College Dublin/Ireland from June 20-25, said a spokesman of Pakistan Hockey Federation on Wednesday.

Programme of matches:

June 20: Pak vs France, China vs Ireland

June 22: China vs Pakistan, France vs Ireland

June 24: France vs China, Pakistan vs Ireland

June 25: 3rd and 4th place match and the final

The team will depart for Ireland on June 16. It will follow the team’s participation in four-Nation Rabo Hockey Tournament to be played in Amstelveen/Netherlands from June 28-July 2.