Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, June 14: Tourists visiting the scenic Aru valley in Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district are experiencing difficulties due to a lack of proper mobile connectivity in the area.
Aru, about 12 kilometers from Pahalgam, is regarded as one of the Valley’s most pristine locations, with thousands of tourists flocking here each year to see its huge meadows and mountains. The location also acts as a base camp for trekkers heading to different mountain lakes including the Tarsar and Marsar.
The administration, on the other hand, has failed to provide adequate mobile connectivity to the area, discouraging tourists from staying longer in the area. “The tourists come for one or two days and frequently complain of having to cut their visit short due to a lack of mobile connectivity. Mobile connectivity is a basic need in today’s world, and amenities like this should be offered,” a local hotel operator, Sareer Ahmad, said, adding that while tourists enjoy going offline for a day or two, they cannot stay offline for long.
Several tourists in the Aru valley informed Excelsior that the area’s internet and cell connectivity disappointed them and that they had to cut their visit short due to the lack of connectivity. “We have just been here for one day and have only called our family once, and that was through the hotel manager’s phone. This has already caused concern in our home. We adore the place and its surroundings, but mobile connectivity is a major difficulty here,” a group of tourists remarked.
To make matters worse, the BSNL service in the area is reliant on electricity and is disconnected when there is power shutdown. “Considering that it is the only network available in the area, the government-run mobile company should have taken care of this issue, but they never operate their generators,” a local said, adding that while the world is moving forward in connectivity, the people here are still forced to live in the stone age.
While conceding that cell connectivity was lacking in the area, Pahalgam Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Mastrat Hashim told Excelsior that they had already contacted another mobile carrier to establish a mobile tower in the area and that there would be no network issues once that was completed. “A mobile company installed mobile towers in the Frislan and Laripora areas, and we only gave them our approval after they agreed to put one in Aru. I am hoping them to finish the installation in the next 5-6 months,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel