Bandipora Diary : Students' struggle, Gurez water woes, and other issues

Bandipora College students struggle in absence of transport facility

The Hassan Khoyihami Memorial (HKM) Government college students in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district are irked over the inadequate availability of transport. The majority of the students, especially girls of the college, are demanding the college provide them with more buses so that their travel daily is made easy.

The students said there was a single bus operational that would ferry them from Main Chowk Bandipora to College located in Pautshai village. The students claim the bus ferries passengers on the way at times making it difficult to find a seat.

Even the private transporters were refusing to take them to the college. The college which is more than a kilometer away from the main road also has a tough terrain and is hard to travel on by foot. The students, especially girls, claim another road was filled with stray dogs and was unsafe. The students said they have been demanding transport facilities from college authorities not just from the main Chowk but to other villages as well.

Non availability of evening transport irks Bandipora villagers

Scores of the villagers from Bandipora are annoyed over non-availability of transport, especially during evening hours.

The villages include Grandpora- Rampora, Check Arsalan Khan, and T A Shah which more or less fall on the same route have been affected due to the issue. The locals said that the issue of transportation was somehow resolved after many years with the intervention of the transport department by providing them with mini Tata Magic passenger shared cabs. However, with winter setting in and days becoming shorter, those travelling for studies, and jobs were facing issues as the transport disappeared after 4:00 PM.

“It is frustrating, the concerned authorities must ensure regular transport for us,” Sajad Ahmad a villager from Gundpora said.

Potable drinking water still a distant dream for Gurez village

The villagers of Check-Jurniyal in Gurez Valley of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district are still dreaming about getting potable drinking water. The locals said that the villagers had to travel meters traversing the tough terrain to fetch water from natural springs. The practice would continue even when the valley is plunged into freezing cold during winter months and heavy snowfall.

“I feel sorry that our women have to travel almost half a kilometer to fetch water even when the government claims to have provided water to every household,” Nazir Ahamd Lone, a local political activist said.

A young woman, Shabeena, accompanied by a group who were fetching water from the spring said, “We don’t have a drop of water to drink. Our village is far away from the source and it is hard for us especially when it snows to fetch water.” They requested the authorities to intervene and resolve their genuine grievances and provide drinking water facilities at home.

Saderkoot villagers demand axing of Chinar tree

Manzmohalla residents in Saderkoot Bala village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora are demanding the axing of Chinar which was mysteriously gutted in an overnight blaze on Saturday.

The villagers said the fire erupted in the Chinar tree during night hours following which the fire and emergency department arrived on the spot. However, even as the department tried to douse off the flames the Chinar tree got damaged to the extent that it now can prove fatal. The villagers say that the tree is also now an imminent threat to those passing by as it was located on the road side.

Besides this several houses were also in its vicinity which could prove dangerous. The villagers called on the concerned authorities to act swiftly and axe the Chinar as soon as possible.

Saif-u-Din Rather, a villager, said they are requesting Deputy Commissioner Bandipora to personally intervene in the matter and pass immediate instructions for axing the Chinar as the “huge tree could flatten houses” there.