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The Kashmir’s Kupwara District Gets Electric Current Power for the First Time Since Independence.

Last village along LoC ( land of Control) 

The Keran village is cut off from the district for nearly six months every year due to the heavy snowing- heights of nine to 12 feet during the harsh winters, and the COVID-19 lockdown. The Kupwara district administration connected 3 villages located along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Keran area to the national electricity grid, ending a wait since Independence for power supply. The tasks  ere not easymcaused by the  shortage of manpower for the work after restrictions of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is an arduous five hours journey to Keran on a fair-weather road that meanders through apple and walnut orchards of the Kashmir Valley and the Pherkian Pass at 10,000 feet in the Shamasbari Ranges.

A power grid has been installed. This will now provide the village with electricity for 24 hours. It will also help residets get rid of noise and pollution caused by the diesel generator set in the area. With the electricity project nearing its completion, the local administration constructed and improved roads in the area.

The government has also given the go ahead to plans to construct 100 new panchayat offices adding to repair another 100 buildings.

For three hours of electricity, the Keran area, with a population of 14,000 in four panchayats, was till recently dependent on three old diesel generator (DG) sets, for which fuel was transported from the district headquarters.

Installed over decade back, the three DG sets were prone to frequent breakdowns further disrupting the meagre power supply, more so in winters when conducting repairs are next to impossible. In 2012, the area’s residents were hopeful that a solution to their power problems was found. The plan was to extend power lines to Keran and establish a grid station. But hopes started to with as no substantial progress was made on the project for nearly seven years, apart from the installation of some solar lighting systems that had limited efficiency even during the summers for some villagers. Not being directly connected to the national power grid threw Keran into extreme backwardness with lack of industries and limited access to medical facilities and television.

All the essential commodities, especially food items and essential drugs are stored in advance for an year in the area to cater to the winter requirements during the cut off area. It was among 112 districts of the country that were chosen for quick and effective transformation.

The Kupwara district administration swung into action deploying multi disciplinary teams to ensure corridor clearance for the entire stretch of the electricity line, that passes through several villages, steep slopes and dense forests.

It may seem as a  small project for the district, but has hugely triggered revolutionary changes in the lives of the common masses starting from switching on a television set as and when they want, to better healthcare, water supply, lift irrigation systems and impacting almost every walk of life now dependent on power supply. The people who were living on the zero line are very pleased for the change to come.

Cultural heritage of Kashmir is multi demensional as the variegated backdrop of its phyisical exuberance which has nursed and inspired it all along. Its sanctity and evergreen stature can be conveniently inferred from the chast shimmering snow, with its virgin top to toe, adorning the towering peaks of its mountainous periphery. Rosy blush lending perennial health to our warbling brooks, roaring waterfalls and sedate and solemn lakes. To crown all, this verynectarine glow has most meanfully groomed out metal  attitude to glean unity  amidst  seeming diversty.  It is a nonstop mental journey with no mile-posts to cool its heels upon. This is a Happy Valley..

Adding Culture – Tradition – Dance, Craftworks and Cuisine.

Culture and Traditional … Jammu’s Dogra is very different from the Kashmiri culture. The Dogra culture is instead much similar to that of neighbouring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Traditional Punjabi festivals such as Lohri and Baisakhi are celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout the region, along with Accession Day, an annual holiday which commemorates the accession of Jammu & Kashmir to the Dominion of India.

It is important to note that Kashmiri culture is predominantly followed only in the Kashmir valley and Doda of the Chenab region. Jammu and Ladakh have their own distinct cultures that are very different from that of Kashmir.

Handicrafts … Handcrafts have been the main-stay of the State’s Economy since Centuries. The dawn of modern era of industries least affected the viability of the crafts that always had the capacity to hold sway in even International Markets. The Wanvun, Roaff, carpet/shawl weaving Kaleenbafi and Koshur Sufiana forms a very important part of Kashmiri identity.

Traditional Dance … The Dumhal is a famous dance in the Kashmir valley, performed by men of the Wattal region. The women perform the Roaff, another traditional folk dance. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts.

Cuisine … holds a unique place among different world cuisines … having  good resources of  water spread area in the shape of streams, rivers, springs and Irrigation sars. Thus has tremendous  scope for development in fisheries  sector both in trout and food fisheries. Also keeping up with the tradional the Salted tea or Noon Chai also called Sheer Chai is the traditional drink and is cooked in a Samavar, a Kashmiri tea-pot. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts. Kehwa, traditional green tea with spices like cardamom, Saffron and almond, is served on special occasions and festivals. Kashmiri weddings are regarded incomplete without the Kashmiri traditional food known as Wazwan, which is typically spicy food cooked by the traditional cooks (Waz). Wazwan is a multi-course meal in which almost all the dishes are meat-based.

Kashmir a.k.a. witnessing many spiritual gurus who migrated from their homeland to Kashmir.

© Aggie Reiter