Baramulla, Jun 17: Nestled amid lush green forests and towering mountains, Dalri village in Rafiabad area, located at the far edge of Baramulla district has remained the victim of official apathy. From road connectivity to mobile connectivity, this village has faced neglect in every aspect.
The basic development in this village remains a distant dream for the residents here. Dalri, a remote and marginalized village falls in Tehsil Dangiwacha of Baramulla district which has remained out of sight from the administration. A visit to the village reflects the official neglect it has faced over the years. “The village lacks even the most basic road connectivity to Ashpora village which is the nearest serviceable settlement,” said Tahir Ahmad,a local resident. According to the residents, lack of road connectivity severely affects the local population, especially students who are forced to traverse unsafe and long distances in order to access education beyond the primary level. “The situation is not only a matter of infrastructure, but one that impacts education, health, and overall social mobility,” he said.
The youth of Dalri, particularly those aspiring to continue their studies beyond Class 8, are being systematically excluded due to this infrastructural gap.
In view of the official neglect, the residents of the area have sent an open invitation to the minister for Agriculture Javed Ahmad Dar who is also the MLA from the same constituency to visit the area and have firsthand experience. “Dalri lacks proper road connectivity with nearby village Ashpora which falls in District Kupwara. The Student community who are supposed to take admission in 8th class face immense hardships due to lack of a trafficable road and traffic facility,” said Firdous Ahmad, another resident of the nearby village. “The lack of a road and reliable transport facility has become a major hurdle, particularly for the student community,” he said.
According to the residents, immediate attention and intervention are required to ensure that these young learners are not deprived of their right to education due to poor infrastructure. The resident also complained that while a BSNL tower exists, it provides no internet coverage, leaving students, youth, and residents digitally excluded.
“This directly impacts education, emergency response, and access to government schemes that are now primarily online,” the residents told Greater Kashmir. The locals said that the absence of a regular transport service disconnects Dalri from surrounding towns and people are forced to walk miles to access health care, ration, education, and markets. “The village has no health centre or sub-centre, exposing the population to life-threatening delays during medical emergencies. Pregnant women, elderly citizens, and children are particularly vulnerable,” the residents said. Notably, Dalri has only a Middle School and for higher education, students — especially girls — travel through dense forest areas, risking safety and discouraging further education. “This results in high dropout rates after Class 8th particularly among girl students,” the residents said. The village has also faced neglect as the government has failed to provide electricity supply while the drinking water facilities are minimal. “These issues drastically affect daily life, health, and education,” the locals said. The local residents also appealed to the district administration Kupwara for Macadamisation of Dalri-Ashpora road.
“Ashpora falls in District Kupwara, therefore the Kupwara administration has a role to play in it. The transportable road facility will help the population to ensure economic and overall development of the Dalri area,” the residents said. Talking to Greater Kashmir, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development Panchayati Raj and Cooperative Election Javed Ahmad Dar who is also MLA Rafiabad, told Greater Kashmir that the issue about the road connectivity of Dalri village with nearby villages falling in Kupwara district was already under consideration. “Actually, Dalri village is connected with villages of Kupwara district from two sides. On one side it is connected with Ashpora and from another side it is connected with Rangpath village via Dogripora village,” he told Greater Kashmir. Javed Dar said the issue has been already discussed with concerned MLA Langate who is also pushing for better road connectivity of Qaziabad villages with Dalri. “The issue will be resolved very soon. The other demands of the residents of Dalri village will also be fulfilled,” he said.
