Banihal: National Conference (NC) leader and District President, Ramban Sajjad Shaheen on Thursday expressed concern over losses caused to infrastructure, private property and the crops due to recent incessant rains. He sought immediate survey of the damages so that the affected people are compensated .
“The entire district of Ramban in general and Banihal assembly constituency in particular was hit by the incessant rains, causing enormous sufferings to the people,” Shaheen said in a statement. He added that the rain has caused a complete devastation to the standing maize crops besides damage to various houses and nallah bridges resulting in huge loss and inconvenience to the people in the entire Ramban district particularly in Banihal constituency.
Shaheen expressed solidarity with the rain affected families, who have suffered losses to their property and crops has emphasised on the concerned governmental agencies to provide financial assistance to the sufferers.
The District President also sought immediate restoration of infrastructure, especially the road-network, saying the mobility of the people belonging to peripheral areas has got hugely affected.
He said most of the major roads have been blocked due to land and mud sliding caused by heavy rains and has multipled people’s problems living in these areas.
The affected roads include JKNHW and link roads in District Ramban particularly in Banihal and Gool that include Banihal-Tatnihal- Amkote-Mangit road, Neel -Chamalwas -Heewagan road, Makerkot-Pogal -Panchal-Allinbas road, Ukharhal -Senabatti road, Banihal-Phago-Hinjhal road, Ramban -Dharamkund- Gool road, and Harog to Sumar -Bajmasta-Varnhal road.
He particularly referred to the blockade of Nachlana – Khari -Mahu road due to sinking of a major portion of the road at Hirnihal in Khari tehsil, saying no serious effort is being made to repair the road permanently.
He added that the concerned agencies must formulate a comprehensive plan of construction of a permanent bridge at the sinking portion as a long term solution as people are facing enormous problems due to frequent closure of the only link road connecting the area with rest of the district.
He also sought restoration of essential services like power and drinking water besides stocking adequate rations at the CAPD depots.
Shaheen said that the rain and flood hit areas of the constituency were without electricity for last two to three days. Those include Khari, Trigam, Sarachi, Mahu-Mangit, Neel, Chamalwas-Chaknarwah, Pogal-Maligam, Paristan, Bingara, Chaka-Sarbagni, Amkote, Thachi, Phagow, Duligam, Sumar, Hinjhaal, Chanjlu, Sarbagni, Chaka, Lamber,Niwgam, Kaskoot, Sangaldan, Bajmasta, Chachwa, indh, Sangaldan, Dharam, Rajgarh, Ramsoo , Varnhal, and Gandhri.
Shaheen further said that the hard toil of farmers stands ruined and they have nothing to look for, except assistance from the govt. He hoped that the government will rise to the occasion and come to the rescue of the farming community besides other affected people and fully compensate the losses.
Shaheen has also sought the presence of medicos and paramedics in the health institutions and adequate stocking of medicines to cope with the needs of the people.