The villagers in Dardpora Anderwan in Kangan on Wednesday carried an elderly lady patient on their shoulders for several miles after heavy snow blocked all the roads. Without losing any time waiting for an ambulance as the road was closed due to heavy snowfall, the villagers wrapped her in a quilt and asked her to lie down in a makeshift cot and started the long trek downhill to Public Health Centre Manigam.
Two residential houses were damaged due to heavy snowfall in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Wednesday. The residential houses belong to Ali Mohammad Bhat of Kurhuma and Mushtaq Ahmed Wani of Nunner.
Several roads in Ganderbal district including towns and rural areas remained blocked due to the accumulation of snow. Locals complained that the authorities failed to clear the snow from the roads even in the towns. Locals said that snow from the roads in several areas including Saloora, Bakura, Alasteng, Safapora, Tulmulla, Wuder Kangan, Akhal, Arhama, Anderwan and Arch were not cleared till Wednesday afternoon. Police saved a life by shifting an ailing patient to a hospital in Latiwaza amid heavy snowfall.
Executive Engineer R&B Ganderbal Zafar Qureshi said that almost all priority roads have been cleared and other road links will be cleared on Thursday. He said that R&B department received many distress calls in the day where emergency patients had to be shifted to the hospitals, adding that immediately the men and machinery were pressed into service for snow clearance work.
DC Ganderbal Shafqat Iqbal said that so far 70% of roads have been cleared while as 60% of the electricity has been restored in Ganderbal district till Wednesday evening.
He further said that as per reports 21 structures have suffered partial damage due to snowfall in the district.