Vikar Shah
Kishtwar, DD, The Chenab region is facing one of its worst crises in recent years as National Highway 244 has remained blocked for the past 20 days, leaving thousands of people in distress. The closure has choked the supply of essential commodities, forcing residents to struggle for basic needs like LPG gas, ration, and even fodder for cattle.
Anguished over the situation, District Development Council (DDC) Chairperson Pooja Thakur came down heavily on the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the district administration for their failure to restore connectivity.
“This is the first time the highway has been blocked for such a long period. Our people are suffering without food supplies, gas, and even grass for cattle. Why should Chenab residents pay the price for the inefficiency of agencies? The authorities must immediately clear the highway and take permanent measures to prevent such prolonged blockades,” Thakur said.
The NH-244, considered a lifeline for the Chenab Valley, connects Kishtwar and Doda with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir. Its prolonged closure has not only disrupted supplies but also hit patients, students, and traders hard.
With no end in sight, frustration among the public is mounting, and demands for swift government action are growing louder by the day,DD