Tauseef Ahmad
BANDIPORA, July 27: Mobile connectivity is a dream for border villages of Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Residents of Kilshay, Chorwan and Nayal villages of Gurez valley Bandipora district are without mobile connectivity in this 21st century also.
The locals, especially students, are irked with the lack of basic facilities like mobile and internet connectivity. Locals told Kashmir Despatch that when the world is going to witness 5G internet connectivity, they don’t have basic cellular connectivity to make a simple phone call.
These residents of Gurez said that they are supposed to travel upto two kilometers from their villages to catch a signal and make a phone call to someone.
The locals said that in case of urgency, the residents here have to travel several kilometers to make a phone call. They said the situation turns ugly in case there is some adversity like some mishap, fire incident or any other issue of great importance.
“In this digital era, when internet and mobile phone connectivity is an integral part of our lives, the people here are struggling for mobile network connectivity. The lack of mobile network connectivity is keeping us away from so many government sponsored schemes aimed at the upliftment of village people,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a local resident while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
“We have to go 3 kilometers away from home if we have to download our date sheet of examination,” said Shaheena, a 12th class student from Nayal village of Gurez valley.
Gurez valley is located 85 km away from district headquarter Bandipora where traffic movement remains closed in winters due to heavy snowfall.
‘”We are even unable to talk to our relatives for months together as the valley receives 10 to 15 ft of snowfall in winters and we can’t go outside in winters,” Mohammad Ashraf of Neeru village of Tulail told Kashmir Despatch.
Locals said that they have brought the issue into the notice of concerned authorities several times but the situation did not change. The residents appealed to concerned authorities from the government as well as private cellular companies to install towers in their areas, so that they can avail mobile phone network facility with ease.
