As non-state labourers flee, work on major construction projects on a halt in Kashmir

Officials say situation worrisome due to non-availability of non-local manpower and machinery.

Gowhar Nazir

Srinagar, Sep 04 (KNO) : As the Kashmir continues to remain in the tight grip of uncertainty for about a month now, the major construction projects in Kashmir including Srinagar have been put on a halt as majority of non-state labourers who were working on these projects, have fled from Kashmir due to prevailing uncertainty.

According to the Kashmir News Observer, the companies who had undertaken various projects in Kashmir have temporarily suspended their works due to the non-availability of manpower and machinery which are required to complete the projects.

While talking to KNO, a construction worker Ravi Kumar, who continues to stay in Kashmir, said, “Due to ongoing situation in the valley most of our workers have left from here whereas few of them preferred to stay, as most of them complained about the ongoing communication which have left their families in lurch.” Kumar oversees the construction work at the biggest under construction Shopping complex at Srinagar.

He further said that the present situation has hampered all the major operations like transportation of material, machineries, and moreover the ongoing communication gag due to which we aren’t able to get the requirements needed for our undertaken projects.

Another worker from the site wishing anonymity told KNO, “We cannot perform well in this environment which is not favorable to undertake the construction projects as we already lost several days of work due to the ongoing uncertainty and what adds more to our ordeal is that we are cut off from our families due to this communication gag.”

He told KNO that after a lot of hectic efforts he was able to call his family from the DC Office, Srinagar, for about three minutes and during his conversation with his family he broke down emotionally as he was asked by his family to return back to his home in Bihar.

He further told KNO, “ I have worked in almost every state of India but have never faced a situation like as it’s completely absurd and devastating to restrict a region from all sorts of communication and it’s not justified at all.” (KNO)