The two major power canals in Kangan area of Ganderbal district have virtually turned into a death trap for people as both are without any fencing or safety barriers.
The canals feed the Upper Sindh Hydro Power House (USHP) stage I Sumbal and the Upper Sindh Hydro Power House (USHP) stage II Kangan and pass through several areas from Kullan to Kangan.
According to local people, the canals have caused loss of many a lives besides swallowing up a large number of livestock.
Despite lapse of decades, no one ever bothered to fence them.
A police official told Greater Kashmir that in last month alone, around 5 dead bodies were retrieved from the canals.
On May 18, body of a 19 year old girl was recovered near Panzin.
On July 3, a young woman (25) committed suicide after allegedly jumping into Wangath link canal of USHP-2 Kangan at Barnbugh.
On 26 August, the body of Mohammed Yaqoob was recovered from stretch of canal near Sumbal.
On July 28, the body of Shakeel Ahmed Awan (24) was found floating in the canal a month after he went missing from home.
On October 2, the body of a young girl Wahida Akhter (25) was recovered from the canal near Kangan. She was missing since September 26.
Locals alleged that Power Development Corporation (PDC) was playing with the lives of the people by not fencing and covering the canals despite witnessing several such incidents in past.
Sources said that earlier the 10 kilometres long canal at USHP-I and 23 Kilometres long canal at USHP-II had guard quarters with watchers and flash street lights installed as a safety measure. However over the past more than two decades neither any of the watchers are seen nor any of the lights can be seen installed.
Local people said that even MLA Kangan Mian Altaf Ahmad had taken up the issue with concerned authorities but nothing has been done as of now.
An official of Power development corporation (PDC) told Greater Kashmir that they had taken up the issue of the fencing of the canal with the government but it hasn’t been approved yet.
“We have written to the government for the need for a proper fencing along the banks of the canals. However there has been no approval from the government as of now” another official of PDC told Greater Kashmir.
Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Kangan Mehraj Ahmed Shah said that he had also also taken up the matter with the deputy commissioner Ganderbal.
Deputy commissioner Ganderbal Dr Piyush Singla said that he had taken up the issue in a meeting with the commissioner secretary PDD.
“We have discussed the matter with the commissioner secretary PDD. They had showed their inability to fence all of the canal. However they have assured that all the vulnerable spots will be fenced properly in near future” Sangla told Greater Kashmir.