Ganderbal, May 16: A pall of gloom descended over the Mammer area of Kangan in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after the body of a 45-year-old missing man was recovered from the power canal in the Kawcherwan area on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Bashir Ahmad Raina, son of Mohammad Sultan Raina, a resident of Mammer, Kangan. His body was recovered following an intensive search operation launched by local residents in coordination with the police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Gund, Ganderbal.
The search operation was initiated after locals discovered Raina’s clothes and shoes near the canal in Mammer, raising suspicions that he might have drowned. The Kangan Police were immediately informed, following which the SHO Kangan, SDRF personnel, and residents began a thorough search. His body was later found downstream in the Kawcherwan section of the canal.
The body has been shifted to Sub-District Hospital Kangan for post-mortem after that boy was handed over to his family.
The tragic incident has reignited concerns among locals, who have long demanded safety measures around the power canal. Residents say that due to the absence of fencing, the canal has become a “death trap,” claiming several lives and livestock over the years.
“This canal has remained without fencing for decades. It poses a constant danger to both humans and animals,” said a local resident. “We urge the Jammu and Kashmir government to take immediate steps to fence the canal to prevent further tragedies.”
