Kreeri/Wagoora, Sept 16: As assembly elections approach in Jammu and Kashmir, Wagoora-Kreeri constituency in north Kashmir presents a wide range of issues that demand attention with people having high expectations from their chosen candidate to address these concerns.
Since the Election Commission of India announced the polls, voters here have been counting the many issues including issues of farmers, roads, improved healthcare and the missing development of the areas that have faced government neglect over the years.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Kreeri, emphasized the need for a tehsil-level rehabilitation center in the area to help address the growing issue of drug addiction. He noted that such a center could play a crucial role in assisting those struggling with addiction.
Residents of Kreeri also demand that existing and upcoming government offices be housed in a mini-secretariat, providing all essential services under one roof for easier access.
He further pointed out that despite Kreeri being designated as a model village, it lacks a playground, even though there are hundreds of kanals of state land available, which has yet to be utilized for this purpose.
Regarding healthcare, locals expressed concerns about Sub-District Hospital Kreeri, where doctors and paramedics have not been transferred for the past 15 years, highlighting the Health Department’s failure to implement its transfer policy. “Same is the situation with the hospitals of the peripheral areas and people have been suffering,” he said.
The issue of waste disposal also remains a pressing concern, with residents complaining about the lack of a proper mechanism for garbage management.
“People are forced to discard waste openly, leading to health issues, particularly among children. The Rural Development Department, they claim, has not introduced any effective policy for garbage disposal, causing widespread suffering,” voters said.
Manzoor Ahmad, a farmer, said farmers faced different issues in agriculture and horticulture due to the prevalence of substandard pesticides and chemicals in the markets. He called for proper checks and regulations to protect farmers from being exploited.
“There should be proper checks in the markets, and the government should recommend suitable pesticides and chemicals for farmers. The heat wave has already reduced production, causing significant losses,” he said.
He also highlighted the poor condition of the 13-kilometer Kreeri-Kalantara road, which has been awaiting macadamization and repairs for nearly a decade, adding to the list of unresolved issues faced by the residents.
On the other hand, voters from Wagoora, a major part of the Kreeri-Wagoora assembly constituency, voiced their concerns about the lack of safe drinking water, which has been a long-standing issue.
“We do not have filtered water in Wagoora. Some water supply schemes were initiated in the past, but they failed to deliver any positive results on the ground,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a young voter.
He also highlighted that road widening between Wagoora and Putkhah road is another critical issue, with several bottlenecks remaining unresolved for years despite public outcry.
Ishfaq added that although the government constructed a building for a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Wagoora several years ago, it has yet to be made functional, leaving residents without access to essential healthcare services.
“We were promised a PHC, but it never materialized. We have no primary healthcare facilities, and people continue to suffer,” he explained.
Locals further pointed out that interlink roads in Wagoora and its surrounding areas have not been properly maintained, causing continued hardships for the community.
Additionally, they noted that after the September 2014 floods, the Government of India approved two vital bridges at Vizer and Vagila. However, their construction remains incomplete, causing ongoing difficulties for the people.
He also mentioned that when the 2014 floods wreaked havoc, it impacted Nallah Ningli, which flows through the area, damaging cultivable land. However, several sections of the stream, from Wagoora to Nagbal, are still not having concrete walling for protection.
