Excelsior Correspondent
BANDIPORA, Dec 11: To provide mobile connectivity to around a dozen habitation of remote Gurez valley for the first time, the district administration took a task to lay the cable through the Adit-1 tunnel of Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project (KHEP) that was the only option to provide connectivity to villages with difficult topography.
On the directions of Deputy Commissioner, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, the administration in collaboration with Hindustan Construction Company took up the tough task of dewatering 650 meters long Adit-1 tunnel of KHEP.
Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the work of dewatering started on November 19 and completed on December 09 with workers working round the clock.
Giving details, he said two 100HP dewatering pumps; two 75HP Dewatering Pumps along with 650 meter pipeline were put in service to dewater the tunnel. “12 technicians, 4 officers and more than a hundred laborers worked round the clock (in shifts) to dewater the tunnel in multistage pumping,” he added.
Dr Choudhary said there was a growing demand from certain habitations of the Gurez valley for mobile connectivity which could not be connected earlier. In October this year the Gurez valley received 4G mobile connectivity for the first time in history though certain areas continued to be without mobile connectivity owing to tough terrain and close to the Line of Control (LoC).
He said the district administration took a risk during winters to dewater the Adit tunnel of KHEP so that it could be used to lay BSNL cable which was the only option left to connect the habitations of Kanzalwan, Bagtore, Izmarg and adjoinning villages.
An official of the HCC said it was a difficult task to dewater the tunnel that too in chilling cold but the motivation and logistic support by the Deputy Commissioner made the task easier for them as the task was completed in record 21 days. He said the district administration provided about 17000 litres of diesel to keep the dewatering pumps running round the clock till the Audit-I tunnel of KHEP could be cleared to lay the BSNL cable.
The Gurez valley remains cut off from rest of the valley for several months owing to heavy snowfall and due to the absence of mobile connectivity, the problems faced by the people would get aggravated.
He said now the mobile and internet connectivity would provide a much-needed relief and minimize the problems being faced by the local populace.
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