Delay to clear snow-covered roads | Villages in Kupwara upper reaches face shortage of essential supplies

Kupwara, Feb 23: The upper reaches of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district remained cutoff from district headquarters on the 6th consecutive day, thus leaving the people in agony.

Karnah, Machil and Keran areas are still cut off leaving passengers stranded in these areas.

Locals said that due to closure of the road, there has been a shortage of vegetables and baby food in their areas.

People from Machil through a video message to Greater Kashmir said that due to heavy snowfall in the area, normal life has come to a standstill.

They said that with more than 4 feet of snow in the area people were unable to move out because the inner roads were yet to be cleared from snow. “We are forced to take patients on shoulder to the nearest health centre which happens to be at Dudhi,” they added.

Similarly a local from Keran told Greater Kashmir that people were suffering due to the closure of roads. He said that the whole Keran was reeling under darkness due to the breakdown of electricity. “The heavy snowfall in Keran has caused massive damage to the electricity infrastructure in the area. Although PDD officials were on job to restore electricity in the area, I think it will take them several days to restore the electricity,” he added.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Mohammad Rouf Rehmani while talking to Greater Kashmir said that efforts were on to clear snow from roads of all the upper reaches.

On being asked about the lack of vegetables and baby food in these areas, he said that since helicopter service has been kept available for these areas and the same can be dispatched if the need arises. “As of now we have no reports of dearth of vegetables and baby food in these areas,” he added.