Mir Iqbal
Dooru residents had pinned lot of hopes with their MLA and Tourism Minister, Ghulam Ahmad Mir but after more than five years the locals alleged that he has disappointed them as the constituency continues to suffer for want of healthcare, pure drinking water and road connectivity.
The inhabitants said hardly any facility was made available by the Government to upgrade health care facilities for past more than six years in this far flung constituency of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The inhabitants told EXCESIOR that the condition of Sub District Hospital (SDH), Dooru is pathetic as it lacks proper space, infrastructure and staff. It is due to this patients from 160 villages of Dooru Constituency have to suffer and are patients of the area are referred to territory hospitals even for minor complications.
Even stepping into the main building corridor in the broad daylight, one feels that he is entering inside a dark cave and it intensifies as one moves ahead.
The patients and attendants often hit each other due to the darkness. “Who has declared this building as SDH, which seems not better than a cattle shed,” said Fahmeeda Jan, a local resident of Dooru, adding, she has been waiting for past 4 hours for an X-Ray.
Official at the hospital admitted that in absence of electricity, it has become tough for patients to move inside corridors without using mobile lights to find the doctors’ consulting rooms even during the day time. During the evening hours doctors make use of candles and mobile torches, they said.
People alleged that the PHC not only lacks proper infrastructure, lighting, medical facilities but it also lacks doctors. They said that the pregnant women have to face a lot of problems as no woman doctor remains available in hospital during night.
Inhabitants said that few years back a woman doctor was shifted from here to her favourite place of posting due o to which the female patients particularly pregnant women have been continuously suffering.
Panchayat member, Ghulam Hassan said that they have several times brought it to the notice of local administration and MLA, but nothing happened on ground. He said only one ambulance is available in the hospital to cater the needs of more than 30 thousand population of the area.
Official sources said that a new building was sanctioned with a cost of Rs 11.5 crore and for that land was identified on Sandran stream at Naduroo near Police Station Dooru, but the building was yet to be completed due to slow pace of work. They attributed the slow pace in work to the casual attitude of local politicians and higher authorities of Health Department.
Similarly, people complained that doctors remain only available once in a week due to which patients are forced to move to other far off hospitals or private clinics.
Officials said there are four New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC), in Dooru Constituency, at Verinag, Qammar (Kaprin), Hokera and Larkhipora (Subsidary Hospital), but all are in pathetic condition, lacking basic facilities.
Inhabitants of this constituency said despite natural springs in the area, there is drinking water scarcity as the government and local leaders have failed to construct a water supply in the area to provide filtrated water to the people.
They said majority of the constituency falls on mountainous region and people have to carry drinking water from a long distance as tap water remains available for few hours a day.
“Village Chotipora is settled on Verinag spring but authorities till date have failed to provide the inhabitants pure water from the spring, but pipes have been laid to supply water for another area Kaprin,” Khazir Mohammad, an elderly person said.
The residents of Nowgam, Trajan, Hengpur, Ringmonda, Zamalgam, Hiller, Pranijan, Mehmoodabad, Brajam, Batagund and Lisser Muqam also said that water scarcity has made their lives miserable.
They said the water supply from Verinag canal is contaminated with insects, earth worms and other material. The tap water also turns yellow due to the presence of huge quantity of silt in it during rains.
Traders Association, Dooru also said that they have staged dozens of protests in last few years, but still no improvement was made in water quality.
“We are not drinking tap water without boiling as it is contaminated,” they said, adding, the locals leaders have failed to supply pure drinking water in the constituency despite repeated assurance from them.
The condition of roads in the constituency is worst due to which people continue to suffer and Government has failed to repair roads.
Major roads in Tourism Minister’s Constituency like Dooru to Kaprin, Qazigund, Mehmoodabad, Kokernag, Lower Munda, Batagund, Anantnag, Lisser Muqam are in dilapidated condition, and people alleged that only some selected roads have been maintained during last five and half years.
They said street lights are defunct from last five years and Government is sleeping over these important issues.
The people also said that major bridges have not been completed for last many years because of which they have to suffer while travelling to the neighbouring villages. Sometimes they have to cover many kilometers which could have been possible in minutes if bridges have been built on the roads.
Important bridges like Qammar to Dudwungam, Koot to Rain on Sandran stream, Zamalgam Bridge and Hiller-Pranjan over the railway track have not been completed yet.
Farmers also alleged that their fertile land is fast turning into barren, as natural sources of irrigation have dried due to illegal mining and construction of railway tunnel.
“We approached many a times to our MLA, but has failed to help us so far,” Bashir Ahmad, a farmer said.
A top official in the district administration admitted that thousands of inhabitants have been suffering from last some years due to the scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation. He said even the Railway authorities assured these people that a pump would be installed to boost water for drinking purposes and irrigation.
The constituency is represented by Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress who defeated Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi by a margin of over 6000 votes. Mir polled 15870 votes while Andrabi polled 9952 votes.
The Congress MLA and Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that he worked hard to develop his area as much possible. He said Dooru was the neglected area of the State and it was by his efforts that maximum developmental works have been initiated to benefit the public.
Mir said he has been consistently working in the area from last five and half years to develop his constituency by executing every scheme meant for public. “You will see visible changes on ground. I converted the face of the area by executing scores of projects,” he said.
When asked about the condition of SDH, Dooru and other PHC’s in the constituency, Mir said healthcare problem in not confined to his constituency, but it is all over country. “The construction of new hospital building is going on and first floor of the building will be commenced within next two months,” he said.
“I will contribute from my CDF to purchase one more ambulance to the SDH,” Mir said.
Mir admitted that most of the roads are not in good condition in his area, but attributed dilapidated condition of these roads to incessant rains and heavy snowfall early this year. “There was heavy snowfall and incessant rains for about seven months earlier this year causing damage to roads,” Mir said, adding, 90 percent sanctioned roads would have been repaired and macadamized till date and recent code of conduct also become a reason of delay in works.
For providing pure and filtered water to almost 100 villages including Dooru town, Mir said he had sent a proposal to the Government which was not sanctioned till date. “To end water woes in my area, I drafted a proposal, but Government didn’t sanction it citing financial constraints,” Mir said.
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