Kupwara, Jan 17: The residents, mostly women of Sudergund village of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district Tuesday staged a protest against the Power Development Department (PDD) for providing them only a few hours of electricity for the last 15 days. The residents of the area took to the streets and blocked Mawer-Handwara highway at Sudergund to protest against the department.
“We have been compelled to hit the streets as the department has failed to provide us with adequate electricity. We are being forced to face immense hardships in absence of proper electricity,” said an aggrieved woman protester.
The women protestors said they get electricity for a few hours only thus affecting the daily chores and most importantly the studies of our children.
“Most of the villagers are poor and can’t afford to buy an inverter with the result, our children are compelled to use candles to study after the sunset,” said another woman. “The concern department seems least bothered about our sufferings as no action has been taken to put an end to our hardships,” she added.