Srinagar: A number of people, mostly women, today blocked many arterial roads in protest against alleged lack of concern of officials in dewatering the flooded areas in the city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Dozens of residents, mostly women, hailing from Maisuma and Koker Bazaar localities near Lal Chowk blocked the Budshah Bridge to protest against alleged official apathy in dewatering these areas.
“Most of the houses in Maisuma have become unsafe for living and the affected people are not sure when they can start reconstruction works,” Saleema, one of the women protestors, said.
“It has been 21 days since flood water entered our areas and the government does not seem to be bothered,” she said. Shabir Ahmad, who owns a shop in Budshah Chowk, said while dozens of heavy duty pumps were installed in Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar area for dewatering, only few fire tenders were used for draining out water from the commercial hub of Kashmir.
The protestors demanded that City Deputy Commissioner Farooq Ahmad Shah should come and visit the area to get firsthand account of tardy pace of dewatering. The blockade of the arterial bridge snapped traffic movement between north and south parts of the city. Similar protests were also held at Bemina and Qamarwari area where the residents, besides seeking faster dewatering, were also seeking relief material like blankets, ration and medicines.
None of the officials from the state government could be contacted for comment as the telecommunication network in the valley has not been fully restored yet.
Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, was not in his office as his subordinate staff told PTI that he had gone to attend to the emergent situations in the city.
