BANDIPORA DIARY

Hajin residents demand iron poles to replace decaying wooden ones

The residents of Syed Mohalla in Hajin town of Bandipora district have asked the district administration to replace the old wooden electricity poles in their area with iron ones, citing safety concerns.
The locals said they have been using chopped trees as temporary poles to get power supply, but their requests to the Power Development Department (PDD) for permanent solutions have been ignored.
The wooden poles, which were installed long ago, have decayed and become weak, posing a risk of falling or breaking due to snowfall and high winds.
The residents fear that any accident or damage could happen anytime and endanger their lives and property.
"We pay our electricity bills on time, but we don't get any attention from the authorities. They don't care about our safety or well-being. We don't know when they will take action and replace these dangerous poles with iron ones," said Mohammad Sultan, a resident of Syed Mohalla.
The residents have appealed to the district administration to intervene and address their issue as soon as possible, before any mishap occurs.
They are demanding that the wooden poles be replaced with sturdy and safe iron ones, which can withstand the weather conditions and ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Chandaji villagers struggle with poor mobile connectivity

Chandaji, a remote village in Bandipora district, is facing many challenges due to its location and lack of basic amenities. One of the major problems is the poor mobile connectivity, which affects the villagers' communication and livelihood.

"We seem cut off from the rest of the world because of the weak mobile network," Mushtaq Mir, a resident of Chandaji, said. He added that staying connected was very important for their safety and well-being. Sabzar Ahmad, another villager, said, "We have to walk down to the nearest town to get a good mobile signal, but the network there is also unreliable."

Social activist Yasir Mirza, who has been working for the development of Chandaji, said that he had approached the Jio offices in Srinagar for cabling and installation of mobile towers, but to no avail.
"They have been ignoring our requests and making false promises. They are not interested in providing mobile services to the rural areas," Mirza said.
He urged the district administration to intervene and solve this issue as soon as possible, saying that better mobile network connectivity would improve the living conditions of the villagers.