Arshad Farooq
Baramulla, Sep 27: The residents of Khanpora area in Baramulla have expressed their dissatisfaction with the inadequate arrangements made by the Waqf Board and district administration ahead of Eid Milad un Nabi (SAW). Khanpora is home to the revered Sufi shrine Syed Janbazwali (R.A), drawing visitors from distant places on this occasion.
Locals said that the district administration has not convened a review meeting in preparation for Eid Milad un Nabi (SAW), raising concerns about the lack of essential facilities in the area.
Malik Shabir, the general secretary of Auqaf, stated, “People from distant places will visit the shrine on Eid Milad, but we don’t have any water facility here, the drainage system is defunct. There are no proper arrangements. It happened for the first time that no proper arrangements have been made.”
Shabir also expressed disappointment with the Waqf Board, suggesting that they should have taken care of the preparations ahead of this revered day.
Despite the shrine’s historical significance, locals claim that no renovation or construction work has been undertaken by the Waqf Board since it took over the shrine in 2003. Efforts to address structural issues, such as painting cracked areas, have not yielded substantial improvements.
Local resident Abdul Jabbar recalled witnessing the shrine without washroom facilities during his childhood, and he lamented that, in 2023, the situation remains unchanged.
Ayesha Begum, who visited the holy shrine, expressed her dismay at the lack of proper arrangements and washroom facilities, especially considering the Waqf Board’s chairperson is a woman.
As the 605th Urs of Syed Janbazwali (R.A) approaches, residents anticipate a massive gathering on Eid Milad, further highlighting the urgency of addressing these issues.
Residents have alleged that successive governments and administrations have ignored the area’s concerns, particularly the dysfunctional drainage system that causes flooding during rain.
They have appealed to the Chairperson of the Waqf Board Jammu and Kashmir, Darakhshan Andrabi, administration and the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla to promptly address these issues. They have also requested the district administration to provide security guards for the shrine.
In response, Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Baramulla, Aijaz Ahmad, assured that work on a filtration plant in the area is ongoing. In the interim, water tankers will be deployed, and necessary measures will be taken to ensure the comfort and convenience of visitors to the shrine.
