Five cattle die due to dangling electric wires in Pulwama’s Dangerpora

Pulwama : In a tragic incident, at least five cattle lost their lives due to faulty power infrastructure in the Dangerpora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, locals alleged.
Residents said that dangling electric wires tied to trees and old poles are posing a grave threat to their lives and property. They said that five cattle belonging to a poor farmer were electrocuted due to the substandard infrastructure in the area.
Locals said they have been living in constant fear due to low-lying electric wires tied to trees for decades, with no intervention from the authorities. The poor Low Tension (LT) infrastructure often leads to faults and causes unscheduled power cuts, they said.
Rashid Hussain, a local resident, said that the electric lines touch the roofs of houses and trees on roads, posing a risk to life and property. “The lines are very weak and fall frequently, risking people’s lives,” he said.
Hussain added, “We have repeatedly requested the concerned department to replace the dangling and damaged electric wires and poles, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”
Showkat Ahmad, another local, said that despite raising the issue in all “Back to Village” programmes, no development has been seen. “Most LT wires in our village are tied to trees due to the absence of poles, making them very low and weak. They often get damaged,” he said.
Residents said they have repeatedly brought this issue to the notice of concerned authorities but to no avail. They said the infrastructure must be upgraded to prevent such incidents in the future and called for compensation for the affected farmer.
They further said that despite repeated hikes in tariffs, they have been paying on time but still receive unscheduled power cuts due to the poor infrastructure.
The locals requested higher authorities to look into the matter and take immediate steps to ensure that people do not suffer any longer