Zachaldara awaits basic amenities

Kupwara, Mar 1: Residents of the Zachaldara tehsil in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district expressed strong resentment over the authorities' failure to provide basic amenities at the tehsil headquarters, causing significant hardship for the public.

As the administrative centre for over 50 villages, Zachaldara experiences a large daily influx of visitors seeking redressal of various grievances at various government offices. However, locals report that the absence of essential facilities—including public toilets, safe drinking water, and passenger sheds—takes a severe toll on them.

“Women bear the brunt of the missing toilet facilities and passenger sheds,” Mubashir Ahmad, a resident, told Greater Kashmir. “The town also lacks a designated cab stand, which forces drivers to park on the main road and leads to frequent traffic jams.”

Residents noted that the government had approved a mini-secretariat for Zachaldara a few years ago. Although land demarcation was carried out, the project never materialised for unknown reasons.

Despite multiple appeals to the concerned authorities over the past five years, locals claim no action has been taken to address the infrastructural deficit. They added that even local Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members have failed to resolve the issue.

The residents are now seeking the immediate intervention of Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone to end the daily hardships faced by the common people.