Waris Fayaz
Sopore, May 25: The residents of Rehmatabad Watergam in the Rafiabad area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have complained of not having basic amenities while blaming the local municipal council for their “miseries”.
The aggrieved locals said that there is a shortage of safe drinking water facilities, dilapidated roads and damaged electricity poles/wires in the area. “The area has been overlooked by the successive regimes and nobody seems to be taking our issues seriously,” they said.
“We don’t get the benefits of living in the municipal council limits. We have been victimised by the so-called leaders who only visit us for votes,” said Irshad Ahmed, a local. “Whenever we visit any government office, we are told to ask the municipal council as the area pertains to MC limits.”
The residents also said that they are living under constant fear due to low-lying electric wires tied with trees and decaying electric poles. “Low tension wires in our area have been tied with trees in the absence of poles. The electric lines touch the roofs of houses and trees on roads posing a risk to lives and properties,” said Ali Mohammed, another local.
Similarly, the locals accused the Jal Shakti department, Watergam of providing them with a contaminated water supply. “The authorities have turned a deaf ear towards our repeated pleas. We are being forced to drink contaminated water and the department is making no efforts to ease our difficulties,” they said.
The residents have appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Deputy Commissioner Baramulla to look into the matter and redress their grievances at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Executive Officer Municipal Committee, Watergam, Farhana Shouket didn’t respond to the repeated calls from this correspondent.
