Mohinder Verma
Nubra is a tri-armed Valley located to the North East of Ladakh valley. Its capital is Diskit, which is around 150 kilometres north from Leh town. According to the local people, its original name was Ldumra (the Valley of flowers). Its history is linked with the history of Central Asia as geographically its borders are linked with China and Turkistan. The average altitude of the Valley is about 10,000 feet—3048 meters above the sea level. The common way to access this Valley is to travel over the Khardung La pass from Leh town, which generally remains open throughout the year because of Army, which cannot afford this pass to remain closed keeping in view the strategic importance of Nubra.
Like the rest of the Tibetan Plateau, Nubra is a high altitude cold desert. The Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the Valley while as Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest of the Valley and connect Nubra with Xinjiang area of China. Previously there was much trade passing through the area with western China’s Xinjiang and Central Asia.
Notwithstanding its strategic importance and being most attracted place for the domestic as well as foreign tourists, Nubra constituency is secluded as has been most of the exterior parts of Ladakh region. No doubt efforts are being made by the MLA from the area Tsetan Namgyal to meet the developmental needs of the people of Nubra but extreme weather conditions and no special attention in allocation of funds have been major hurdles in ensuring holistic development of the constituency.
The people of this constituency having three blocks of Panamik, Diskit and Turtok although have high regards for their elected representative—Tsetan Namgyal for being the honest and humble politician, they are not largely satisfied with his performance on the ground that he is not very effective. They are of the opinion that only effective politician can improve the developmental profile of the constituency, where population is living in scattered villages and hamlets as such require more focused attention.
Be it health or education sector, which assume much importance keeping in view the topography of the constituency, the people, particularly of the villages and hamlets far away from the block headquarters have only grievances to project. Similar is the situation of power sector but the state of affairs vis-a-vis roads in the constituency is much better that too because of the fact that keeping in view the strategic importance of the area the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has laid required focus on the aspect.
There are three Primary Health Centres and one Sub-District Hospital in the constituency for a population scattered in a vast area as a result of which the people are compelled to travel huge distance to reach the nearest health centre. In case of medical emergencies, the patient can have some chances of survival only when he or she reaches Diskit well in time. But again there are difficulties as health institution even in the capital of Nubra lacks the facilities required for emergency services besides reeling under shortage of manpower.
“The serious cases are generally referred to the District Hospital Leh and during winter this also becomes impossible because of huge snow”, Stanzin, a resident of far-off Aranoo Gongn said during the recent survey conducted by EXCELSIOR.
Similar difficulties are being faced by inhabitants of numerous far-off areas as no serious attention has so far been paid towards improving health care facilities in the constituency. “We have been demanding health centre in the nearest possible area during the past quite long time and this demand was projected before the former Member Parliament, Hill Council and MLA a number of times but situation remained the same”, a group of people from Udmaru, Bogdang, Skuru and Hundri said.
There is vast population in the far off villages which has not been provided basic medical facilities and healthcare in the nearest possible place. In such a situation, the only hope for them remains the medical camps being conducted by the Army. There is hardly any health centre in the constituency where 100% staff is available and the situation was even brought to the notice of MLA without any tangible result.
The situation vis-a-vis education sector is also grim in the constituency because of shortage of teachers. “Keeping in view the terrain of the constituency there should have been special focus on providing adequate number of teachers in the educational institutions but in the absence of proper attention either from the MLA or from the Councilors, we are groping in dark about the future of our children”, said Sonam Rinchen, a Sarpanch.
“Whosoever is posted in the educational institutions of the remote areas, he/she makes use of influence to get transferred outside the Nubra”, Tashi Namgial, an ex-serviceman from Udmaru said.
The situation vis-a-vis teachers in the educational institutions of the far-off areas can be gauged from the fact that even Degree College Nubra lacks Lecturers of various subjects. “It is due to grim scenario of the education sector that majority of the people prefer to send their wards outside Leh for higher studies”, a local Government school teacher said while wishing anonymity, adding health and education sectors have become victim of the topography of the area and only local people having requisite qualification prefer to work in Nubra.
What to talk of posting doctors, lecturers and teachers from other parts of the State even those belonging to District Headquarter Leh are not keen to work in Nubra, she further said.
Though Border Roads Organization has provided road connectivity to major parts of Nubra keeping in view strategic importance of the area, several villages like Largyab, Hunder, Udmaru, Hundri, Kheme, Nungsed, Kubed etc have yet to get proper road connectivity.
People complained that several roads were sanctioned under NABARD and even work on some was started but later these roads were left half-way for unknown reasons.
Keeping in view the present pace of development and progress in Nubra, it seems that this constituency would require several decades long focused attention to come at par with many other constituencies of the State. It is due to lack of development and basic facilities that people of this constituency particularly the young generation are compelled to flock towards the urban areas.
Large number of inhabitants of Nubra have set up their settlements in Skampari area in the heart of Leh town due to improper attention towards their respective areas by the Government and the failure of their MLA to exert pressure on the ruling dispensation for ameliorating their lot.
The people of this constituency too have grievances vis-a-vis power supply and irrigation water facilities etc. There is hardly any sector about which the people don’t have any complaint and the ground situation indicates that a lot needs to be done in terms of education, health facilities and road connectivity to bring Nubra under the shade of development.
Along the Nubra and Siachan river there lies numerous villages like Sumur and Kyagar and people of these villages have been demanding flood protection works during the last several years in order to prevent damages. But, no significant development has taken place in this regard till date.
When contacted, MLA Nubra, Tsetan Namgyal admitted that Nubra constituency has yet to tread the path of development and attributed this to the terrain of the constituency and lack of special attention by the successive State Governments.
“MLA has only limited resources if such a vast area is to be nourished. Despite this, no step was left unturned to meet the developmental requirement of the people”, he said, adding “during the past over five and half years, I tried my level best to ensure that shortage of staff in the health and education institutions is overcome and I even succeeded in doing so. But it is a fact that a lot still needs to be done”.
He further said: “It is pity that our demand for more Primary Health Centres is not being taken seriously and the same yardstick is being applied for our area despite the fact that we are living in most difficult terrain and climatic conditions”.
“Our geographical condition must be considered while sanctioning new health and education institutions and criteria for plain areas should not be applied in our case”, he said, adding “until funds allocation norms are changed, Nubra cannot come under the shadow of development”.
According to Mr Namgyal, the migration of people particularly of youngsters to urban areas can be stopped only when education institutions of Nubra are provided with all the required facilities more particularly adequate number of teachers and lecturers.
Stating that left over villages and hamlets of Nubra would be provided road connectivity under Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana, he said, “even power scenario is going to improve as work on micro projects having capacity to generate 11.5 Mega Watts of electricity is going on and within next one year they would start providing electricity to the people”.
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