Sajid Raina
Bandipora: People living in red zone areas of district Bandipora have complained about the shortage of essential items including medicines and food even as the administration has made tall claims about providing essentials to people living in these areas.
Locals told KNO that they have been left at God’s mercy as there is no help from the authorities after their village was declared as the red zone.
“Life is becoming hell here with each passing day as the authorities have not been able to provide essential items including medicines,” they said. They alleged that no one comes to their village without the doctors’ team nor is anyone picking up their phone calls from the administration.
“The supply of medicines, milk, and food has dried up after their area was declared as red-zone. We are facing an acute shortage of essentials despite tall claims made by the administration. Even the helpline numbers are a hoax as nobody responds to repeated calls,” the locals alleged.
They said that even their neighboring villages do not allow them to enter their villages for the fear of contracting the virus. “I am a laborer and there is nothing to do when the whole country is under lockdown due to this deadly virus. We are vulnerable and can catch the virus if we go to work,” said a local from Gund-Jahengeer.
A senior official of the district claimed that they have been providing all the essential items including medicines to the people living in red zone areas of the district.
“We have also been tracing the contacts of positive patients in these areas to ensure the spread of virus is contained and more lives are saved,” he said.
Authorities have declared 12 villages as red zones in the district after 56 positive cases were reported from these areas. The areas include Konan, Gund-Qaiser, Gund-Dachina, Hakbara, Parrey Mohalla, Madwan, Pethkoot, Chandergair, Batagund, SK Bala, Gund-Jahengeer and Naidkhai—(KNO)
