Ex-MLAs’ Report Card Constituency: Shopian
Mohd Yusuf Bhat (PDP)
Suhail Bhat
SHOPIAN: Spread over hundred villages, Shopian constituency in Southern Kashmir is famous for its delicious apples and walnuts. Although the constituency is known for water resources and its apple business contributes significantly to the State’s economy, people here consider themselves poor in terms of health care, access to drinking water and education.
The constituency was represented by People’s Democratic Party former MLA Mohammad Yousuf Bhat who replaced 2008 winner Abdul Razaq Wagay in 2014. He won 2014 Assembly elections by defeating an Independent candidate, Shabir Ah-mad Kull-ay, by a margin of 2366 votes.
With a voter population of little over 90,000 the whole constituency is battling with ailing health care and poor drinking water facilities. The lack of improvement in trading facilities for apple crop, which is the mainstay of economy, has disappointed people.
Littering of local streams and ineffective disposal of the commercial and domestic waste make the whole constituency particularly the Shopian township, commercial hub, look dirty. The unattended garbage can be seen lying on the streams banks and busy squares.
Many key projects are incomplete for last so many years that resulted in the underdevelopment of the constituency. Development projects like upgradation of the Sub District Hospital, Roads and bridges that connect several areas, Mini Secretariat, water supply schemes and fruit Mandi that were started but left mid way.
The resentment against the former MLA is pretty obvious due to lack of development. “None of the elected representatives has ever cared to solve our problems. Nothing has ever been done for the upliftment of our localities. The whole constituency has a dearth of drinking water. Healthcare is dismal and road connectivity deplorable,” Basit Ahmad, a resident from Shopian town said.
Besides these problems, lack of awareness and guidance on high yielding apple varieties and use of appropriate pesticides or insecticides is also a major issue in the Constituency. People said they have to rely on the advice of shopkeepers who recommend different chemicals required for the health of the crop. “The officials never visit the orchids nor do they carry any inspection of the shopkeepers selling chemicals. They sell whatever they want. There is no regulation in the trade,” locals said. They added that the issue was brought to the notice of the former MLA but nothing changed.
The apple growers are dissatisfied with the condition of the Fruit Mandi of the area and felt betrayed. “We were promised a satellite market with parking for hundreds of trucks, office for traders, residential quarters for workers, banking facility and accommodation for outside businessmen among others. There is no electricity and drinking water in the market,” Mushtaq Ahmad, a local grower said, adding the former MLA made fake promises to people at the time of elections and did not deliver.
Mushtaq said that the Fruit Mandi was constructed on banks of dangerous Romshi stream which can wash it away anytime. “Besides, the construction on the stream embankments leads to its encroachment which in turns disturb the ecology,” he said, adding despite competing with top markets of India to carry out the trade, the market has not been equipped with any of the facilities.
The facilities of health and education are in demand among the people and the provision of these facilities topped people’s list of priorities.
The people of several areas complained about the lack of healthcare facilities at District Hospital Shopian, which is the nodal centre for treatment. They said the hospital was upgraded into District hospital eight years ago but apart from the nomenclature of the health centre nothing has changed. The hospital lacks quality infrastructure and the healthcare facilities are also dismal. “Insufficient staff and other healthcare facilities force us to visit other districts for treatment”, Mohammad Ramzan said, adding despite several representations to the former MLA he failed to deliver.
Even the doctors lament the lack of infrastructure and manpower in the health centre. “Since 1979 the hospital has not seen any improvement in terms of staff and infrastructure. The present strength is inadequate to cater to the huge rush of patients. We often send patients away to other hospitals,” a doctor said, wishing anonymity.
The residents lamented that the constituency sans proper road connectivity and the deplorable condition of the roads are giving them a tough time. Two vital bridges over Ranbiara rivulet at Batpora and Trenz are far from completion despite the passing of nearly four years since they were washed away by floods in 2014. The Batpora Bridge connects sub-district Keller with District headquarters of Shopian. Residents of several areas including Nadpora , Manloo, Gatipora, Zrakan, Thyran , Vichura and adjoining villages said that dilapidated roads make their journey an ordeal and affect their daily life badly. It takes us more than one hour to reach Shopian through this 5-kilometre stretch road,” Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Gatipora said. He added that the issue was raised with the former MLA several times but to no avail.
Another bridge on the rivulet at Trenz- Bakhinder village on Imam Sahab- Arihal road remained incomplete. The bridge is being funded by the World Bank but an inability of the authorities to complete the necessary paperwork on time delayed the construction process. The residents said that the MLA didn’t bother to follow it up.
The residents of Vaterpora and Trenz said that in absence of the bridge and due to the dilapidated condition of the alternative road has discouraged the cab drivers to ferry passengers. Chitragam- Drawani, Shopian- Aglar, Bijbehara- Zainapora road and several other interior roads are also in deplorable conditions.
The locals lamented that with the construction of Mini Secretariat in the area they were expecting that the time consumption in the inter-departmental dealing would be cut down by bringing departments in proximity to each other but to no avail.
Despite having 46 water supply schemes and 19 filtration plants, the whole constituency is facing dearth of clean potable water. People complained of receiving water for one or two hours daily. “We receive water for two hours every day and that too during odd hours. Despite having several freshwater springs we have no water to drink,” Abdul Basit, a local from Shopian town said.
The areas like Krechpathri, Dachnipora, Chitragam Kalan and Shirmal are worst affected. People at Gatripora complained about lack of water supply to their village. “There is no water in our area. A few hand pumps at some places are there but that is insufficient,” Ghulam Mohammad, a local said. The former MLA failed to mitigate our water woes despite making promise during his campaign.
The residents of several areas complained that they are supplied with contaminated water as the existing filtration plants lack proper cleaning mechanisms. “A major reservoir located at Padpawan village is filled with dirt and muck. The water distribution pipes get blocked several times due to mud that is carried from the reservoir,” Mohammad Shafi, a local said, adding a majority of the water reservoirs haven’t been cleaning for years.
The locals explained that the real reason behind this shortage of water was because of the contamination of the Rambi-ara where from the water supply schemes lift water for distribution.
Former MLA, Mohammad Yusuf Bhat, told Excelsior that for the last three years nearly 100 kilometers of road was macadamized in Shopain and six road projects – Sedav- Ramnagar, Chawan-Dundu and Shopian- Kulgam – under PMGSY were under construction.
While admitting the lack of proper healthcare facilities in the constituency he said that he had tried his best to get better facilities at the District Hospital Shopian.
He said the work on the Shopian Fruit Mandi is underway and would be completed next year. “It is a comprehensive project wherein all the facilities will be provided. It cannot be achieved overnight and takes time. Once finished, the people will realize what we have provided them,” he said.
He, however, blamed on the previous Government when asked about the site of the Fruit mandi. He said he has already directed the officials of the Municipal Committee Shopian not to throw garbage waste on the stream embankments. “I have been trying hard to expand the Municipal limits”, he said.
About the dearth of clean drinking water, the former MLA said: “The reason behind water shortage is the contamination of the existing water sources Rambi-ara. The water of stream got affected due to the construction of Mughal road,” he said, adding with the completion of Dubjan water supply scheme the water crisis would be sorted out once and for all.
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