Several power canals in this district have virtually turned into death traps as they lack proper fencing and safety barriers.
The canals feeding Upper Sindh Hydro Power House (USHP) stage-I (Sumbal), and stage-II (Kangan), passing through several areas from Kullan to Kangan are without any fencing or protection walls.
The other canals feeding Ganderbal power projects are also without proper safety barriers.
According to locals, the canals without fencing were posing a threat to their lives and property.
“The authorities haven’t bothered over the decades to fence these power canals,” the locals complained, adding there have been several incidents in which human lives were lost and livestock perished.
On July 8, a teenager from Wudder area of Kangan in Ganderbal drowned in a power canal in Kangan after he slipped into it. His body was retrieved by the rescue teams of police and SDRF.
Earlier, body of a missing youth was retrieved from a canal in Gutlibagh area of Ganderbal. “Many human lives have been lost till now in these canals; some were the accidental deaths while others were alleged suicide cases,” said Block Development Council Chairman, Kangan Muhammad Yousuf.
Locals said several times the canal breached resulting into flood-like situation in which several residential houses were damaged besides hundreds of kanals of cultivated land was washed off.
Locals alleged the Power Development Corporation (PDC) was playing with the lives of people by not fencing and covering the canals.
A source said the 10-km long power canal of USHP-I and 23-km long power canal of USHP-II, when established during 1970s had guard quarters with watchers and flash street lights installed as a safety measure.
“However, for last more than two decades now, neither any of the watchers is seen nor any of the lights remain installed,” said the source.
He said in March 2013, the USHP-I power canal breached due to a landslide at Gund area, resulting in damage to several houses besides loss to agricultural land.
They said a similar incident happened in Wanagth link of power canal Kangan in Panzin area few years ago resulting in a huge loss to the property.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Shafqat Iqbal said they have taken up the issue with the authorities concerned and projected that the power canals be fenced to avert any untoward incident.
“We have written to the concerned department that all the vulnerable spots should be fenced properly besides the Revenue department and the PDC have been directed to install warning boards at the accident prone spots,” the Dc said.