The residents of Palhalan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are disappointed over authorities’ “failure” to appoint an x-ray-technician in the NTPHC (health facility) in their area.
The locals said that the x-Play plant was installed long back in the NTPHC. However, there is no technician to operate it with the result people of the area are deprived of the much needed facility in the health centre.
“Installing x-ray plant without the technician is authorities’ non-seriousness towards the rural healthcare,” said Muhammad Shaban of Palhallan.
The aggravated residents said that in past the authorities would through an internal arrangement send an x-ray technician for few days in a week. However, the practice has been stopped leaving the local patients high and dry.
“For x-ray we have to move to either Sopore, Baramulla or Pattan,” said Bakhti Begum, a local resident. “The authorities need to look into the issue and ensure that people of the area do not suffer,” she added. The locals said that the functioning of the x-ray plant will be of great step in making the rural Heath better. “The x-ray plant if not made functional will deteriorate with each passing day. The authorities have spend lakhs of rupees on it. However, it has not yielded any benefit to the people of the area,” said a local resident.
Illegal parking irks Kanlibagh residents
The residents of Kanlibagh Baramulla are up in arms against the illegal car parking on the Kanlibagh-Sangri road. The irregular car parking has turned the pedestrian movement extremely difficult especially for the school children.
The locals said that despite the colony being a registered residential colony, the illegal car parking continues unabated.
“It is extremely difficult to walk on the Kanlibagh-Sangri road stretch due to illegal car parking on either side of the road,” said Arshad Ahmad, a resident of Naseembagh Kanlibagh . The Kanlibagh is a registered residential colony in the Baramulla town. The colony on its tail end meets with the highway with the result people who visit Baramulla town find it convenient to park the vehicle in the area.
The other major reason for the illegal car parking in the area is that several government offices including mini- secretariat, AD Food office besides department of wild life protection are located along the Kanlibagh-Sangri road stretch. Most of the employees of these department owing to insufficient parking space, park their vehicles on the road, with the result traffic jam on the road is often witnessed.
Farooq Ahmad, a local resident, said that the Baramulla district administration in past was mulling to relocate the mini- secretariat which houses around six administrative offices to a new place. However, there has been no forward movement in this direction so far.
“The mini- secretariat Baramulla houses around six major administrative offices which include Chief education officer office, Chief agriculture office, fund office, youth service and sports office besides some other offices. However, all these offices are already struggling with the space scarcity besides there is no car parking space with the result all their vehicles are parked in the road making the pedestrian movement extremely difficult,” added Farooq.
There are also some private schools located on the Kanlibagh-Sangri road stretch in which scores of children are enrolled. The anxious parents too have urged the administration to end the illegal car parking on the road to avoid any possible mishap.
Abandoned wires pose threat to commuters and pedestrians
The abandoned wires’ mesh on Tehsil road Baramulla left after the HVDS transformers were installed is posing huge threat to commuters.
A few days back, a pedestrian’s right foot got entangled in the mesh of cables dumped on the road. The pedestrian suffered minor injury. The locals said that during the installation of HVDS transformers on the Tehsil road, the left out mesh of dead wires had not been removed. They said often it causes huge inconvenience to the pedestrians and some time causes injury if someone’s foot or motorcycle wheel is entangled in it. “The concerned authority should remove the dead wire mesh immediately so that commuters do not face issue while walking on the roads do not face issue while walking on the road,” said Muhammad Shafi, a shopkeeper on Tehsil Road Baramulla.
Surprisingly, the spot of mesh of wires is close to the Tehsil office and just 100 yard from police station Baramulla.
Azad Gunj residents demand immediate repair of road stretch
The road stretch from main chowk Azad Gunj to traffic check post in old town Baramulla is in shambles. The huge potholes on the road has turned the common persons movement extremely difficult besides has caused huge inconvenience to the transporters.
The locals said that the road stretch is in bad condition since last several years. They said despite their repeated pleas, the department of R&B Baramulla has taken no measure to repair it. “The deep potholes has potential to cause mishap,” said Muhammad Akram, a local resident. “The authorities must repair it immediately so that people don’t face hardships,” added Akram. The Azad Gunj Chowk is extremely important as all the passenger vehicles heading for Rafiabad are housed in the chowk. The locals have urged the Baramulla district administration to repair the road in the interest of the common people.