Bandipora lanes remain waterlogged
Listen To Article
Save Article
Print Article
Send Article To Friend
Write To Editor
Comment On Article
Health experts warn of epidemic
Mir TariqBandipora, May 25: Health experts here on Sunday warned of an epidemic in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district if the government fails to check the water-logging in the areas which were hit by hailstorm. They said that diseases like cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery, amoebiosis and hepatitis were common in the water logged areas especially during rainy season.
Locals complained that after the State government held elections for the municipal bodies a few years back, the Municipal Committee Bandipora (MCB) failed to solve the basic problems of sewerage and drainage, which is proving fatal to the population here in Bandipora.“The municipal committee here could not manage funds to repair the lanes and drains leading to water logging during the rainy season. All the drains are blocked due to which hundreds of residential buildings were logged with water,” said Ghulam Ahmed, adding "An inquiry should be conducted against Chairman Municipality who has not executed Municipal funds properly during the past few years."Health experts fear if the problem of water-logging is not checked it can cause epidemic. They said that the diseases like cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery, amoebiosis and hepatitis were common in water logged conditions, especially during the rainy season.The lanes and drains of areas which are quite damaged and need immediate repairs are Mader, Kaloosa, Nathpora, Kharpora, 1-5 wards of Bandipora, Dachigam, Muslimabad and Ajar.The residents of these areas said that the damaged lanes and drains have not been repaired for the past two decades. “After the municipal committee was elected here we expected it will solve the problem of drainage and sewerage in the town. However it has failed. The area gets submerged in water and most lanes and drains remains waterlogged,” complained Hajara Begum a resident of Nathpora. "During rainy season it is not only the streets that get waterlogged, every there are rains, water seeps into our homes.”The business community especially the shopkeepers too are suffering due to water logging.“Since the lanes and drains have not been repaired in our area for past many years, water logging is quite common here. Most of the times, especially during the rainy season, water enters our shops damaging the articles inside,” said Mushtaq Ahmed, who runs a crockery shop in Nowpora market.“The water logging is causing suffocation as foul smell is emerging from the blocked drains,” Ahmed added.“Municipality authorities have always befooled the people. They claim execution of crore of rupees but the ground situation is absolutely different. An investigation should be carried out regarding the spending of funds by Municipal Committee Bandipora," Iftikar Wani, a local of Ward No 2 Bandipora said. “Recent hailstorm caused damage worth crores of rupees and should be recovered from Municipal Committee authorities who have failed to get the lanes and drains repaired for the past three years.”Recently, the District Development Commissioner initiated investigation against Municipal authorities but the outcome of the investigations was never revealed creating doubts among the locals.Last month MLC and ruling ally Peoples Democratic Party General Secretary Nizamuddin Bhat exposed the bungling after which District Commissioner Bandipora Sheikh Mushtaq seized the Municipal Committee Bandipora’s record and set an inquiry committee under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Bandipora to investigate the bungling.Chairman Municipal Committee Bandipora was unavailable for the comment.However District Development Commissioner Bandipora said, "We are receiving complaints against irresponsible attitude of the Municipal Committee Bandipora from the locals. I will take note of this and inform the higher authorities of the Local Bodies to look into the matter so that people can get rid of the problem.”