South kashmir Diary

Plastic waste deface picturesque locations in Shopian

The stunning forest landscapes in south Kashmir's Shopian district are being marred by the garbage and other plastic waste discarded by the visitors and local shopkeepers.

The picturesque places like Dobijan and Dragnard are tarnished by the indiscriminate littering of muck, defacing their natural beauty.

Located some 15 kms from Shopian town, the area near Dobijan bridge is littered with wrappers and plastic bottles discarded by both the visitors and the vendors.

“ We can not hold authorities responsible for everything. The people must develop a civic sense, which is crucial for maintaining the beauty of such places,” said Bilal Ahmad, a resident from Shopian.

Similarly, the forest area in Dragnard also paints a dismal picture with visitors and some shopkeepers indiscriminately littering the area.

The residents of the area told Greater Kashmir that people who visit the area litter the place with empty plastic bottles wrappers and polybags.

" Even some shopkeepers dump their waste in the area, harming the beauty of this place," said the residents.

Javed Ahmad, a visitor, said that the youth who gather in the vicinity to play cricket also litter the area. The residents from both the areas appealed to the authorities to act tough against the offenders.

Qazigund villages face water crisis

Scores of villages in Qazigund area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district are facing acute shortage of water, spurring the residents to consume contaminated water.

The villages including YK Pora A , YK Pora B , Nagres , Peertaki , Muswani Check , Kuchipora and Baghpora have been without potable water for the last several years.

The residents said that they were using the contaminated water from the streams and rivers.

"A threat of water-borne diseases always looms over these areas," said Zakir Ahmad , a resident of YK Pora.

He said that the women of the village had to travel long distances to fetch water. The residents said that an overhead water tank was being built in YK Pora - A, but the construction work was soon left half way through.

"We are clueless about the sudden stoppage of the construction work," said the residents.