KHALID GUL
Kulgam, Jan 20: Belying the tall claims of the authorities of clearing all the roads off snow many villages in this south Kashmir district are still cut off from tehsil and district headquarters for the past two weeks. The scarcity of water supply and acute shortage of essential supplies has added to their miseries.   
 Residents said that majority of the link roads in Damhal Hanjipora area of the district are still blocked as the authorities either did not bother to clear the roads off snow or cleared these partially.
 “The HM Gori - CR Pora, Baghibal to Banghiward road, Daniw Kandimarg to Sarimarg, Khul Ahmadabad to Ringat, Chimar to Dandiward and Daniw Kandimarg to Hompathri and Chinar Chowk to Aadijan roads have not been cleared of snow and thus majority of the villages located on the said routes are still disconnected from Damhal Hanjipora Tehsil,” villagers said.
 They said that due to the non clearance of the roads the transport is not plying on the roads due to which they have to face lot of difficulties.
 “We have to walk all the way to Damhal Hanjipora to buy essential items like bread or milk,” said Ghulam Mohiddin of Hompathri.
 He said due to slippery road conditions it is even difficult to walk as most of the villagers have injured themselves seriously after slipping over the icy snow.
 Villagers said because of the blockade of roads the patients are suffering.
 “We are forced to either shoulder the patients or carry them on stretchers as the vehicles cannot ply on the road,” said a villager of Nandimarg Yarikhan adding that during the first snowfall an expecting mother died as she could not reach the hospital in time.
 People also complained that only a few roads have partially been cleared by the authorities.
 “Though the snow was cleared from the main roads and some of the link roads but it was done only partially. The authorities instead of using snow cutters used JCB and tractors rendering the roads more slippery and prone to accidents,” said the aggrieved residents.
 The reports of non clearance of roads of snow have been also pouring in from Supar, Songam, Daniw, Makanpora and Wazirpora villages of Kulgam Tehsil of the district.
 Villagers of Danhal Hanjipora have also been facing acute water scarcity due to frozen water pipes.
 “The Nandimarg water supply has become totally defunct due to which many villages are facing water crisis,” said the villagers. They said the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has fitted the water pipes over ground and as the winter approaches they get frozen. “Women folk have to walk several miles to fetch water from streams in this chilly winter and we then consume this filthy water,” said the villagers.
 The shortage of essentials villagers said has added to their woes.
  Villagers of Ringat, Zradoo, Sarmarg, Daniw Kandimarg, Bangiward, Chaki Rambirpora, Nandmarg, Homepathri Halqa Khuri Batpor, Tangmarg and Ahrabal said they were running short of cooking gas, kerosene and ration.
 “Though the government has been claiming of keeping enough stock of essential commodities but their claims have fallen flat. The hoarding and black marketing is rampant,” said the villagers.
 Several villages in Damhal Hanjipora also complained of acute shortage of power supply. “ The power supply in our area is mostly erratic and since the onset of winter and it has gone worse,” said villagers of Khurbatpora.
 The villagers of Dandiward said that though a transformer was last year installed and they were happy to see their lamps glowing but their joy was short lived as the electricity was again snapped to the village  due to unknown reasons.
 Deputy Commissioner (DC), Kulgam, Farooq Ahmad Khan when contacted said, “ The snow clearance operation is going on in full swing. We have cleared majority of the roads of snow, however there are few link roads in DH Pora which could not be cleared due to frozen conditions. I hope the weather improves by tomorrow so that they could also be cleared”.
 About the water scarcity, he said about 30 percent of the water problem has been solved. Khan, also said that there was enough stock of essential supplies including kerosene oil and cooking gas.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST