Gundow villages, with no road connectivity, appeal authorities for help

15 June 2020

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Srinagar: Around 5,000 residents of 10 villages of Gandhow are waiting for road connectivity even as 7 decades have passed since independence, residents of the areas said in a community statement to Ziraat Times.

“The villagers travel at least 5-10 km by foot to reach the nearest motorable road. The 10 affected villages are Bani, Khumar Mohalla A, Khumar Mohalla B, Upper Zarger Mohalla, Khanpura A, Khanpura B, Rehri, Chopwara, Tika and Bani Kalamul”, the villagers said, adding “the lockdown has brought with it hardships of different nature but for those living in far flung rural areas it is a routine matter as in the absence of connecting roads to their villages it is a daily affair of travelling long distances on foot and they simply don’t have any choice except to carry even their patients on their shoulders.”

“There are many such areas that remain unnoticed and the tormenting life of these villages goes on and on even after 7 decades of independence. Providing basic facilities like connecting roads should be the foremost priority of the Government especially in this age of Digital India”, the villagers said.

Expressing disappointment over the performance of PMGSY in the area, the villagers said “All talks and no works is the hallmark of false narrative of development centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which is a mega flagship programme with the main objective of providing connectivity to rural areas mean nothing practically for these remote villages though Jammu and Kashmir.”

“The programme is being implemented by the Public Works (Roads and Buildings) department of the Union Territory. But all these claims just fall flat once we start reality check as village after village, district after district have similar stories.To carry critically old persons on shoulders or pregnant womens on a palanqeen is herculean task itself. it will be a better idea for administration to include these villages in much hyped ‘Back to Village’ “programme.”, they added.

“Let Ministers, MPs and officials themselves decide whether this is a basic necessity for normal day to day life or it is a luxury to have even simple road connectivity. Many peoples died in the recent past en route to the hospital due to lack of roads in villages of Gundow When many villages are fast becoming digital across the country,there are 10 villages inhibited at least 5,000 residents do not have even kutcha roads”, they added.

“The villagers have to walk 5 to 10 km to reach a place with road facility. They have to walk their way if they want to go to a nearby town or visit their relatives on a road, which is uneven and filled with rocks.In case of emergencies, the only mode of transport is to carrying patients on shoulders. This journey takes at least 5 to 10 hours to reach the nearest hospital. Villagers expressed their agony as many expectant mothers have been dying en route to the hospital. Even doctors and ANMs are not visiting the village for want of a motorable road.Nutritious food supplied by the government is not reaching the expectant peoples in the villages. The villagers appealed the State government to lay at least kutcha road to their villages. Lack of road connectivity has made the life of local villagers miserable owing to lack of basic infrastructure like health, education, communication and electricity. Besides, tourists who wish to visit “Bharmi Gashir” top also have to face a lot of difficulties.The remote villages did not have schools. As a result, the students are forced to become cattle grazers. Also, the villages did not have power supply. The villagers are living in the grip of fear of attack by wild animals especially during night time. They criticised the government for its apathy in fulfilling their demand for a road facility”, they said.