Defunct electric transformer sparks protest in Kupwara village

Kupwara, Dec 28: The residents of Gulgam Wedar Mohalla in Hirri area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district Thursday staged a protest against the Power Development Department (PDD) for failing to repair the electric transformer of the village despite the passage of ten days.

A group of men and women staged a protest on the Kupwara-Chowkibal highway, bringing traffic to a complete halt for some time. They raised slogans against the PDD officials for failing to repair the transformer.

“For the past ten days we have been suffering due to lack of electricity and potable drinking water but authorities are yet to transport our transformer to the workshop located in Kupwara," said a female protestor.

“We have been forced to hit the streets as the concerned authorities have failed to mitigate our problem,” she added.

The protesters alleged that they have contributed funds for transportation of the transformer but don't know “why authorities were reluctant to lift the transformer.”

They said that the area was reeling under darkness for the past ten days which forced them to stage a protest. Later a police party and PDD officials reached the spot and ensured protesters of early redressal of their grievance following which they dispersed peacefully.