With Bandipora-Gurez road remaining closed for more than a month now, several passengers stranded in the snow-bound Gurez Valley Wednesday demanded their immediate airlifting.
The stranded passengers, including patients and students, said they were supposed to be airlifted from Gurez last week but are stranded because the chopper service was allegedly stopped for unknown reasons.
An official however said the service was stopped because choppers couldn’t land in Gurez due to bad weather conditions “despite persistent efforts”.
In 2018, the government introduced a chopper service from Srinagar to Gurez, and from Bandipora to Gurez, at highly subsidised rates.
The 84-km-long Bandipora-Gurez road remains closed for winter months as the area receives heavy snowfall.
The road was closed on January 2 this year following heavy snowfall in Gurez and at Razdan Pass.
A stranded passenger said they are suffering immensely because of alleged suspension of chopper service last week.
“Even some patients are stranded at sub-district hospital Dawar,” said Muhammad Salim Lone.
Local residents said some students who are scheduled to appear in various examinations on February 15 are also stranded. They urged the governor and divisional commissioner Kashmir to “personally” ensure their airlifting.
Deputy commissioner Bandipora Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said evacuation of stranded passengers would depend upon weather.
“For the past one week, weather hasn’t been favorable,” he said.
“Presently, we are utilising services of Pawan Hans as the government had signed a MoU with the company. Now we also got 150-ton quota for Baduaab and Izmarg from the army as well and we have also got a clearance from them to use their helipad in Kanzalwan which would help in evacuating the stranded passengers from Gurez,” he said.
He said around 400 passengers including several patients were airlifted during two days last week.
“For stranded students, we have made a request to airlift them on priority. They will be airlifted by 13 February,” he said.