Ganderbal Diary

Public transport remains off road during evening hours in Ganderbal

Commuters in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal are facing inconvenience as public transport goes off road on many routes during evening hours. Locals said the lack of public transport during evening hours on a number of routes continues to pose difficulties to the people. This despite the fact that commuters traveling on these routes had brought it into the notice of transporters and concerned authorities several times.

Locals said that the people from different villages including Kangan, Wussan, kurag, Dub, Batwina, Sumbal, Lar, Manigam, Kullan, Gund and other areas are facing immense problems due to the lack of public transport service in the evening hours for last one week. A group of students complained that public transport like buses, sumos and auto rickshaws remain unavailable during evening hours. They further said that students who attend evening classes at the tuition centers in Ganderbal have to face huge inconvenience in absence of public transport. The locals have urged the concerned authorities to take necessary steps to redress the issue.

Damaged Sumbal bridge poses risk to commuters

The vital bridge connecting Sumbal – Hariganiwan area with the Srinagar-Leh national highway is in dilapidated condition and poses danger to the people. The bridge over nallah Sindh at Sumbal in tehsil Gund of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district is in damaged condition and hundreds of vehicles ply via this bridge every day. The Sumbal bridge is vital as it is an alternate route for those travelling on the Srinagar-Leh highway towards Sonamarg, Ladakh or Srinagar. This bridge is also important for the areas like Sumbal, Surfraw, Hariganiwan and other areas to connect them with the main highway. Locals said that the bridge hasn’t been repaired over years and now can be a reason for any mishap. They urged the authorities to repair the bridge or to construct a new one for the convenience of the people.

No mobile connectivity in tourist village Naranag

Tourist village Naranag in Kangan sub division of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district does not  have mobile connectivity. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh and Gangabal Lake. The residents of Naranag village, a tourist area, said that they were facing a lot of hardships in absence of any mobile phone connectivity. They said that Naranag did not have mobile connectivity even after its launch across Jammu and Kashmir in 2003. Locals said that in times of digital world and digital India , the village is still lacking mobile connectivity, and the villagers continue to remain disconnected with the rest of the world. Local residents said that they as well as tourists visiting the area face hardships. The locals said that the mobile phones have become a pivotal tool to stay connected with the people in the world, especially with the  near and dear ones. Nonetheless, they said their village is still lacking this facility due to which they are facing tremendous hardships.

Meanwhile, the locals also appealed to the administration to provide the basic network facility in their area as soon as possible.