Scores of frontier villages remain cut off, electricity, water supply disrupted
Baramulla: People living in different border villages of Sub division Uri, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, are up in arms against administration and concerned departments for allegedly failing to restore basic essential services including road connectivity, electricity, water supply and others services which were disrupted after the latest snowfall.
Stating that most of the villages were still cut off from the Tehsil headquarter, the locals blamed that administration had miserably failed to clear snow forcing people to walk miles in knee deep snow for basic amenities.
“Six days after the heavy snowfall, administration has miserably failed to restore road connectivity, electricity and water supply in Sub Division Uri and people living in this frontier sector are facing huge inconvenience and hardships,” said NC’s Vice President, North Kashmir Dr Sajjad Shafi while expressing dismay over the slackness of the administration in its response to the snowfall.
Senior congress leader and newly elected DDC candidate, Chowdary Taj Mohi-ud-din, also blamed the administration failing to restore basic facilities including road connectivity, electricity supply and water supply to several villages. “Many roads including, Nambla B, Nambla C, Gowalta, Gohalan, Sukdar, Churanda, Batgrah, Hatlanga, Mohthal, Upper Garkote, zamorpatan, Lachipora, Hr. Secondary road Bijhama, Bimyar to Morgan, Limber, Babagale, Budrali, Dudran and Chotali are still closed. There is no infrastructure available with the departments which could have come in handy at this moment of difficulty.”
Sarpanch, Nambla, Mohammad Shafi Ganie, stated that it was for the first time, ever since electricity was brought to this area in 1965,that the people of the area were without basic facilities including electricity for six days continuously. He further said that power supply was not yet restored in the villages including Garkote, Nambla, Sohra, Hatlanga, Balkote, Salikote, Syedpora, Thajal, Tilawari, Churanda, Batgrah, Sokad, Sukdar, Gohalan, Gowalta, Zamoorpatan, Dudran, Chotali, Maydanan.
People have appealed the Lieutenant Governor led administration to take proactive measures for restoration of essential services and snow clearance in the affected areas and also urged for compensation for the families that suffered damages.
Admitting that some of the areas in Uri were yet to be cleared for road traffic, the Sub Divisional Magistrate Uri, Riyaz Malik, said that snow was cleared from many villages in Uri but in some places roads are very slippery where machines find it difficult to operate causing delay. Such roads are being clearled manually and would take some time, he added.
Speaking about restoration of water and electricity, he assured that work was on and soon the facilities shall be restored. “In many places power and water supply has been restored. In the remaining places, it shall be restored very soon,” he added.
