Waseem Ahmad
BEERWAH: Beerwah constituency of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district sans facilities in healthcare, electricity, education, irrigation, road and portable water sector but in some areas, there is marked improvement in the infrastructure after 2014 elections when they chose former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as their representative.
The Assembly constituency of Beerwah belongs to Srinagar Parliamentary constituency. The constituency has been a stronghold of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). But PDP won the two Assembly elections of 2002 and 2008 and took away the seat from JKNC.
However, in 2014 Assembly elections, JKNC again retained the seat. This time it was party’s vice president Omar Abdullah, who defeated Nazir Ahmad Khan of Congress by mere 910 votes. Omar polled 23717 votes while Khan got 22807 votes.
Majority of the areas of the constituency face neglect and lacked basic facilities but since 2015 there has been marked improvement in infrastructure after the Omar became their representative.
One of the worst problems, the inhabitants of this constituency are facing is the dilapidated condition of roads. Potholed and dilapidated roads in many areas of Beerwah constituency are giving tough time to residents.
The residents of Kawoosa Khalisa, Cheki-Kawoosa, Bachipora and Nowpora said the condition of roads in these areas is pathetic.
Adil Ahmad, a resident of Kawoosa Khalisa said the condition of the road in his area makes it difficult to drive or to even walk on it. “During the rains, we have to watch out for potholes. Whenever our elders venture out, or students leave for schools, they take off their shoes to wade through the water logged streets,” he said.
Another local youth, Mohammad Umar said the six-kilometre stretch from Kawoosa Khalisa stop to Chinar Colony Narbal and from Bachipora village to Kawoosa canal are in a pathetic state and mostly remain inundated with water. “During these two decades, the six-kilometre stretch, though, was repaired once or twice but that could not sustain for too long,” he said.
The residents lamented that despite the area being represented by former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, it remains bereft of basic facilities. “The basic necessities including water, power, roads etc are missing in some area,” they said.
The residents alleged use of poor quality material in macadamization of roads. They said that only after few days of macadamization, the roads develop cracks and they got damaged partially.
The inhabitants of the majority of the areas of the constituency said that the healthcare is craving for improvement and residents have to face a lot of problems due to lack of quality health services in their areas.
For instance, the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Gondipora village has been operating from a dilapidated building which mostly remains inundated in water. “It is not possible to provide diagnostic and treatment facilities to the people in such circumstances. Most of the equipments have gone into disuse. A new double storey building has been almost completed but is not being used as it needs finishing touches,” one of the staff members at PHC said.
The situation at primary health centre Makhama in Magam area is also not encouraging as it faces a host of problems including lack of basic facilities, shortage of doctors, dearth of space etc. “Besides the shortage of specialist doctors, posts of pharmacist and dispensers are vacant at the PHC”, they said.
The X-ray machine is nowhere to be found. Patients are forced to approach private medical centres. The hospital has a laboratory but without proper equipments. An old ambulance provided to the hospital a decade ago is defunct. We have to hire private vehicles to take patients to some other hospitals in cases of emergency. The PHC currently runs from a building that used to be a sub centre earlier. The PHC has single bathroom for public and staff as well. It also lacks staff, labs, equipments and space to perform deliveries,” Ghulam Mohammad, a local resident said.
The inhabitants of several areas of the constituency including Poshker, Alimnag, Patiposhker, Malwu, Dalwush, Gund, Lakipora and Saran complained that the areas being abundant in water resources has no proper water supply scheme to provide pure filtered water to them.
The residents complained that they do not get adequate water supply as consumption increases in summer and water scarcity comes up every year and they have to fetch water from miles away. “We are craving for potable water supply since decades,” they said.
Villages like Narbal Ghat, Bazar Mohalla, Kawoosa, Chinar Colony, Kanihama, Mazhama and other hamlets also complained that they are facing water scarcity.
The inhabitants of village Kawoosa said that in mid-summer due to scarcity of water, they have to travel long distance with pitchers on their heads to fetch drinking water.
Another problem that the residents of this constituency are facing is the non availability of proper transport service and due to lack of proper service people have to face hardships in reaching their destinations on time.
The residents of the constituency also complained that in various villages including Utligam, Chaendpora, Batpora, brick kilns have been set up in agricultural lands causing pollution and damaging the crops as well as health of people.
They said in Utligam village more than 20 brick kilns are functional in agricultural land that has damaged the agro-economy of the locals.
The education system in the constituency is similarly neglected as the locals alleged that the students have to suffer because of the lack of proper teaching staff, infrastructural facilities and various schools are in dire need of up-gradation.
They said the villages are without higher secondary schools and they have to visit for the same in the main Beerwah town or Magam that becomes hectic for the students.
The residents said that the primary school Pethpora Harde-Aboora is functioning in a building that lacks every basic facility, including a boundary wall, a toilet and even portable water. Besides this, the school is inundated with muck and cow dung slush throughout the year.
They said the Higher Secondary School Drang falling in Khag education zone is also facing shortage of teachers, besides running without a full-fledged principal.
The residents of Harde-Sorush village also said that they are facing acute water shortage while as the adjoining villages like Nasarpora, Panjyara, Check, Fajipora and others are also facing similar water scarcity.
The residents of Magam town said that the footpaths and roadsides are encroached by shopkeepers and street vendors and moving through Magam town is a nightmare for pedestrians as well as motorists. “There is no space to walk on the footpaths or roads as all the shopkeepers had displayed their goods on footpaths and the rest of the space was captured by vendors, especially on a road from Agarikalan to Police Station Magam,” Muhammad Yaseen, a daily commuter said.
The constituency has no sports stadium for its young sports enthusiasts. Sports lovers across the constituency are angry, saying no sports facilities have been provided to them. However, they have been promised that Narbal sports ground will be developed but so far it has not been.
The residents of Aripathan and other villages also complained that the tippers ferrying construction material and bricks during day time particularly in morning and evening hours, when children are waiting for transport are risking their lives. “We approached authorities’ dozens of times but they failed to handle transporters’ mafia in the area,” they said, adding, dust blown by these vehicles from roads has affected the health of students and commuters.
The inhabitants of several villages of the constituency complained that they have to reel under darkness most of the times due to frequent and unscheduled power cuts. “Electric poles and wires at many places were not repaired from decades, which have posed threat in many villages as at some places wires are tied with trees. The 630 kv power receiving station at Sonpah was inaugurated in 1984 but till date no up-gradation was done in it,” Arif Ahmad, a resident of Chewdara said.
He said the wires and poles are damaged at many places due to which for a minimal wind blow, the areas are plunged into darkness
A bridge connecting Arwah to Wuhangam, Rathsun and dozens of villages was damaged a decade ago and work was also started few years back but the bridge is nowhere near completion. “We are eagerly waiting for the bridge as in the absence of the bridge, people on both sides of stream are facing immense problems. During the rainy season the school going children can’t even reach schools because of this problem. In case of an emergency we have to travel miles to reach hospital through alternative routes,” the residents said.
As per details received from the office of the former MLA, Omar Abdullah, various roads were developed in the constituency. It includes Magam Beerwah Budgam road under CRF at the cost of Rs 32 Crores, Kanihama to Rusoo, Chaira Magam road at the cost of Rs 2.5 crores under NABARD, Aripathan Iskanderpora Malpora road at the cost of Rs 6.99 crores under NABARD, Aripathan Khag road at the cost of Rs 12 crores under NABARD and Khag Poshkar Kandhama road at the cost of Rs 11 crores under PMGSY.
The details furnished revealed that various roads including Sonapah Najan, Sonapah Chewdara, Chewdara Rusoo and Razwen Bundgam roads were developed under PMGSY. Besides, Adina Badran road of two Kilomretres with internal links were macadamized and other internal roads at Narbal, Sozeith, Check Kawoosa, Kawoosa Khalisa were in Pipeline.
Zampathri water supply scheme, Sukhnag water supply scheme and separate water supply schemes for Razwen and Rusoo were provided in the constituency.
They also informed that receiving stations were provided at S K Pora, Aripathan and Charangam. 150 new transformers were installed in the constituency, besides, 2000 electric poles were distributed through various schemes.
Six van type ambulances and a critical care ambulance for Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Beerwah were provide at the cost of Rs 60 lakhs.
Foot bridges were constructed at Bonpora and Goorpora and another bridge at Kandhama. Besides, 10 scooties were given to differently abled persons and medical assistance up to Rs 50,000 was given to the needy. “Rs 1 Crore were spent on different development works in the constituency out of United Grants”, the details revealed.
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