Due to a severe lack of piped water, life in the Meemender neighbourhood in the Shopian district in southern Kashmir is very difficult.
Meemander, a Bren colony located less than 2 km from the main town, has suffered from an unreliable water supply for the last three years.
One local, Manzoor Ahmad, told Greater Kashmir that his family had to resort to collecting water from streams.
He warned that “waterborne diseases loom large over the area due to the use of contaminated water.” Many locals said they had repeatedly brought the matter to the attention of authorities to no effect. They complained that none of their demands had been taken into consideration.
Residents claim that PHE workers started constructing water pipes in 2020 but then abandoned the project.
The community has requested that the matter be resolved immediately by the Jal Shakti (PHE) division.
The parking spot is unpaved.
To alleviate traffic congestion, officials in Shopian town have turned a park into a parking lot.
However, the motorists were greatly inconvenienced by the unmacadised slot.
After a rain, the region becomes a muddy swamp, with deep ruts left by passing vehicles.
“After you park your car in the area, it then becomes nearly impossible to walk back through the muddy surface,” said Basharat Ahmad, a commuter.
He also said that automobiles were mired in the muck.
“Many drivers avoid parking in this newly created parking slot,” he continued.
But according to Greater Kashmir, Suhail Malik, Executive Officer of the Municipal Council of Shopian, a multi-level parking garage is planned for the area.
According to him, the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies has already given its stamp of approval to the initiative.
Malik claims that this plan would alleviate the town’s parking woes and traffic congestion for good.
Limitess path
The neglect of the Shopian-Turkwangam road is emblematic of a larger problem with government service.
Commuters face a dangerous situation on the tiny route, which has not been expanded in a long time and is riddled with potholes.
Commuter Javed Ahmad complained, “The battered road causes body aches and increases the travel time.”
Beyond Pinjoora village, the road deteriorates in many spots, he claimed. According to Ahmad, biking along the road has always been the toughest part.
According to locals, the route serves as a vital link between dozens of apple-rich towns and the district headquarters during the harvest.
They insisted that the roadway required quick widening.
The locals complained that the route became dangerous for apple-laden vehicles during harvest season.
There were “several spots” where “two vehicles could not pass at the same time,” they claimed.
A high-ranking R&B representative assured Greater Kashmir that damaged sections of roadway will be fixed as soon as possible.
