Kupwara hasn’t seen much development during past 18 years

Mir Farhat
Kupwara constituency has not seen much development during past 18 years and people in this hilly area are annoyed with their representative as they grapple with daily issues of life, like drinking water, road connectivity, health care and education.
The constituency is represented by National Conference Legislator Mir Saifullah for past 18 years. Saifullah defeated Fayaz Ahmad Mir of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by a margin of 5000 votes in 2008 elections. Saifullah polled 16, 696 votes and Mir 11, 514.
The inhabitants across the constituency have complaints against their legislator as they suffer for want of pure drinking water, bad roads and the alleged goondaism unleashed by the workers of the Legislator.
In Jagadpora village, residents said they don’t have drinking water and the link road to the area from Handwara shabby and dilapidated.
Residents said they don’t have a nearest health center and they have to travel to Kupwara headquarter for First Aid and minor ailments like headache.
A health sub center is located in Bramri village but it has no doctor posted there and no medicine available.
Mohammad Jabbar Parray, an elderly man, said the State of health care across the constituency is dismal.
Parray said the dispensary in their village has no doctor or a medical assistant available and for an injection they have to travel 8 kms to reach the Kupwara town.
He accused the ruling legislator’s workers of siphon off all the benefits of the schemes which are meant for poor like IAY, BPL ration.
Residents said the MLA has allowed development works only in those areas which vote for him and where his workers desire.
Four months ago residents of Anderhama villages which is 5 km from the town were “deprived” of drinking water by the “MLA’s workers” as they allegedly disconnected a pipeline to this village.
Kupwara town which sees a brisk business and movement of the people from across the constituency lacks basic facilities like parking for vehicles, space for vendors, and public conveniences and a public park, lanes and bylanes in the town are completely damaged.
Kupwara town is the face of the constituency but people and traders here equally blame the legislator for failing to develop it as a district headquarter.
Ghulam Mohammad Mir, President Traders Federation Kupwara, said the whole district has not proper connectivity from Sopore.
A bridge on river Jhelum at Sopore is being built by BEACON for the last 23 years. Despite missing several deadlines the authorities have not completed it.
“The incomplete bridge is a source of numerous troubles for us. Our travel and trade is hampered from Sopore as the town itself has narrow roads. Due to daily traffic jams in Sopore vehicles from and to Kupwara get stuck there. Even patients have no escape,” Mir said.
He said a dry fruit mandi is being developed at Bomhama for the last 10 years; except fencing and a shed it has not been developed an inch. Traders suffer a lot because of absence of space to trade their produce, he said.
Municipal Committee has equally failed to maintain the town just like the Legislator, he said.
With the increasing population successive Governments and the legislator have failed to expand the space in the District Hospital for the growing number of patients of the whole district.
“The district hospital has the same building that existed 40 years ago. We have repeatedly raised the issue with all the authorities who matter. Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured us twice to expand the hospital when he visited the area,” said Mir.
The north Kashmir region has no nearest tertiary hospital despite a large population resides in the region and residents across the district demanded hospital.
Owing to lack of a hospital patients are referred to hospitals in Srinagar, 110 km away, many among which die for want of immediate care.
Residents and traders in the town have demanded shifting of Police Control Room to replace it with a yard for public vehicles.
They claimed that CM himself had ordered the administration to shift it “but three years have passed the order has not been implemented”.
Residents in Drugmulla, which has been named ‘Model’ village in 2007, said the village faces shortage of drinking water, has no electricity. The residents said sub district hospital was constructed a year ago but it has no staff.
“People have right to live but our Legislator is denying us the right,” they said.
In Block Trehgam, some residents lauded the MLA for his efforts to grant it a tehsil status.
“Our area has seen some development like a higher secondary for girls, some Government offices were built. We appreciate our MLA for these works,” said Ghulam Rasool Shah, Secretary Welfare Committee Trehgam.
Shah said, however, some villages which are located across the Kehmil stream have no connectivity as bridges have not been constructed on the stream. Villages like Bangagund-Wilgam, Nerumpora-Nowgam have no bridge connectivity.
Three lakh people are living in Trehgam block in different villages like Gugloosa, Shimnag, Malpora, Kunan, Poshpora, Hirri, Hayen, Kababmarg, Owoora. These villages face drinking water and electricity crises.
Power Receiving Station at Trehgam has a capacity of 4.3 MW only when the area needs 10 MW to overcome the electricity shortage.
The residents of these villages said they are drinking impure water because the PHE has built its sump near a dirty marsh whose water is supplied to the people. “We have raised the issue with the authorities and the MLA but nothing changed,” the residents said.
The whole area has a single primary health center which faces staff shortage and no specialist doctor has been posted here.
“It has acute shortage of doctors, and paramedical staff. The PHC has seen no supply of medicine in the last over one year. No surgeons have been posted here to take care of the pregnant women and patients who need emergency care.”
Farmers in the area said their paddy and vegetable land has been eroded and washed away by gushing flood waters in Kehmil stream and “we have been demanding bund and leveling of our land but our demand has not been fulfilled.”
In addition to healthcare problems people grapple with issues of dilapidated roads, shortage of pure drinking water and electricity.
Road connectivity to the villages in the constituency is dilapidated and lanes, bylanes in have never been metalled.
Government schools in villages are housed in dingy wooden rented rooms with no toilet and drinking water facilities. Five classes and scores of students are cramped in these rooms.
Shimang village the native place of the MLA has also its residents angry with the MLA.
The villagers blamed the MLA for “unleashing his workers’ rule in the area”.
An elderly man said politician’s relatives are allotted all the Government works in the area.
In Kralpora area, people claimed that no major development has taken place there in the last 18 years.
Abdul Ahad Bhat, a resident said, only workers and people who vote for the MLA have benefited in the last 18 years.
He said the area faces water shortage because two big water supply pipes are leaking but have not been repaired by the PHE Department despite several reminders and requests.
Residents in Dadersun, Reshigund, Warson, Gazriyal, Milyal, Kachihama, Reshampora, Rawalpora, Manzgam complained about shortage of drinking water and electricity.
These villages have no access to the health facilities and the inner linking roads and lanes and bylanes not metalled, and Government schools are lacking toilet and drinking water facilities.
Villagers in Dardsun said a Government middle school exists in the village since 1968 but its premise has been encroached by a local.
Ghulam Mohammad Shah of Shaloora village said the Government middle school has not been upgraded in the last five decades into high school.
The villagers said a prayer ground in the village has not been fenced; it has no bund which could prevent it from its erosion of land by the heavy waters.
They said the village has no drinking water and are compelled to use dirty water from Salamatwari canal. Roads to Ziyarat Gojri mohalla, Dardson-Payeen from Kralpora are completely damaged.
A dispensary at Shaloora village is functioning from a rented building and no doctor has been posted there. Panzgam village was named ‘Model’ village but its road, lanes are dilapidated. The road from Panzgam to Chowkibal has huge potholes.
The residents said the Central Government schemes like PMGSY and MGNREGA in which MLA has no role are done by contractors and workers who are affiliated with the ruling party MLA.
Youth in the constituency said they have no sports stadium to play at. They were angry with the legislator for not providing sports facilities in the area.
In Chowkibal area, a bypass bridge to Tangdhar at Tumuna-Hachimarg is being constructed from last 15 years. People in the area said they face immense troubles because of the lack of connectivity to Chowkibal town.
Inhabitants in Zonrashi, Khanabal, Manzpathri, Reingward, Marsari, Manchatri said they face water shortage, electricity crises in their area. The inner link roads, lanes in all these villages are dilapidated.
Students in Chowkibal area said no higher secondary school has been constructed in the area and they have to travel to Kralpora for studies.
Zirhama village whose residents were recently gripped by dehydration because the locals were supplied highly chlorinated water by the PHE Department.
A health sub centre is housed in a dingy room where a single compounder is posted.
The villagers said they took ill because the PHE employees at Gujarpati water supply scheme from which they get drinking water added expired chlorine in excess to the water.
The infection was aggravated by the dirty water tank which has not been cleaned from the last 20 years, they said.
Fearing further spread of the water-borne diseases, the residents said they have stopped using the water from the scheme.
But their problems have been compounded by the PHE as they have not supplied mobile water tanks to them regularly.
“Two water tanks of the PHE came twice on two days. We collected water which last for two days only. Since then we are facing water crisis,” said Mehmood Iqbal, a young man in Zirhama.
The residents had to face the Health Department’s apathy after the disease struck the area. Three doctors and a single ambulance was provided to them for one day despite that fact that about 2000 residents had taken ill from the contaminated water.
Students in the area face huge problems as the whole area has a single government middle school which is housed in three rooms. It has nor playground for the students to play.
The residents fumed at the MLA for not addressing their grievances.
“After winning elections, the MLA has never visited the area to hear our grievances,” Nazir Ahmad, a local, said.
Repeated attempts by Excelsior during past two weeks to reach out to MLA Saifullah Mir, for his comments, failed. Even the National Conference headquarters and spokesman was also approached but there was no response from the MLA.

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