Bandipora Diary

Jhelum embankment collapse sparks fears in Hajin

Locals in Hajin of north Kashmir's Bandipora district were gripped by fear after the Jhelum embankment collapsed on Sunday night. The residents living near Hajin Bridge said they were sleeping when the embankment caved in, and they questioned its strength and durability. The locals pointed out it would have been catastrophic if it had happened during the summers.

"We are lucky it didn't happen when the water level in Jhelum was at its highest. The cave-in would have swallowed our village," said Manzoor Ahmad Dar, an elderly villager.

This was not an isolated incident for the Hajin residents and others living along the Jhelum. The Banyari and Hajin villagers have reported frequent cave-ins in the past, and some incidents have also been reported from the Sumbal area.

"We want the authorities to find out why these incidents occur frequently. This has us all concerned. These incidents are threatening our lives and livelihoods," said Bashir Ahmad Parray, a local. He also expressed concern that if the land caves in March or April "it would be catastrophic."

The villagers said the officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department arrived at the scene but left without doing anything. The villagers said the authorities had launched works to strengthen the river embankments a decade ago but claimed that the work was not upto the standards.

"For all these years, we have seen the authorities doing cosmetic measures to prevent the cave-ins. A machine has been lying idle for so many years. Can the authorities tell us why?" a group of villagers asked.

The locals said the embankment had cracks and they feared more cave-ins would put shops and homes at risk of getting buried underground.

Repair of dilapidated Dachina-Guroora road sought

The Gund Dachina-Guroora road in north Kashmir's Bandipora district is in a deplorable state, causing immense problems for the commuters and pedestrians living in the area. The road is about five to eight kilometers long and also serves as a bypass when the Bandipora-Sumbal road is blocked by traffic or security situations in the Guroora, Dachina or Nadihal areas of the district, locals said.

They said they were waiting in despair for the authorities to address their plight and resolve their long-pending grievances.

The villagers said the road was a lifeline for the twin villages of Aragam and Chithaybandy falling along the road. Besides, Brar village, en route, was also in need of attention, they said.

"Several habitations are along the road," Javid Ahmad Najjar, a businessman, said. He said not only was the Gund Dachina-Guroora road in a bad condition, but the roads to "uphill villages like Brar and Chithaybandy were also in a poor state."

Ghulam Nabi Bhat, a head of the Auqaaf committee at Aragam village, said the potholes on the road are even making it difficult to walk. " He added, they want the road to be repaired on priority. "We don't remember when the road to our village was last macadamised," Ishfaq Ahmad Lone, a villager from Chithaybandy, said.

"Even though the authorities had previously macadamised the Guroora-Gund Dachina road (now in poor condition), the road to our village never received any attention," Lone added.

He said various uphill habitations of the village have also not been macadamised yet.

Similarly, for Brar villagers, apart from the main road, the road leading to the under-construction Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) was in a bad shape. The long-pending dream of having a proper road for the shrine of Baba Dawood Khaki (RA), popularly known as Chour-Yaar or Char Yaar, too has not materialised yet despite "several representations to the concerned authorities," locals complained. A group of aggrieved locals urged the authorities to pay attention to their genuine pleas and macadamise all the roads in the area.