Sajjad Shaheen demands snow-clearing machinery for Banihal

Banihal, Nov 10 : National Conference (NC) leader and District president Ramban Mir Sajjad Shaheen has appealed to the LG administration to sanction advanced snow clearance machinery in district Ramban particularly in the snow bound Banihal and Gool area.

In a statement, Shaheen said that it is unfortunate that the entire district Ramban which is a high snow prone zone and witnesses heavy snowfall during winters has not even a single snow cutting machine nor snow vehicles, ploughs, cutters, and front-end loaders.

He said the entire district Ramban and Gool receive heavy snowfall and several villages remain cut off from the district headquarters for many days during the frosty winter due to the heavy accumulation of snow.

Shaheen said , “Some areas like Mahu-Mangit, Neel, Pogal, Maligam, Paristan, Sarachi, Amkore, Thachi, Hinjhal, Chaknarwa , Chamalwas receive four to six feet snow, and due to lack of the snow clearance machinery the administration fails to open the snow-clogged roads in these areas for several weeks. The administration should procure snow cutters and other snow clearance machinery for district Ramban.” He added that often JCBs hired from local contractors are pressed into service and this does not serve the purpose as tens of thousand of villagers in the snow bound areas remain cut off due to heavy snowfall in the region and a lack of timely snow clearance.

The NC leader further said that it is a common practice that during heavy snowfalls dozens of medical emergencies had to be shifted to hospitals on charpoys, stretchers, tractors or JCBs as most of the roads remain blocked in snowdrifts. People have to often carry the ailing as no JCBs can reach their villages, through knee-deep snow and treacherous pathways, he said .

Shaheen asked the administration to put in place a robust mechanism and gear up its machinery to meet any eventuality given the approaching winter. He has also urged the Administration to expedite restoration work and ensure supply of essential commodities besides electricity and drinking water to the people during the ongoing harsh winter.