By | Dr. AR Lone
Karnah : The dead cannot wait, but bureaucracy does. For the eighth consecutive day, Karnah remains cut off due to heavy snowfall at Sadhna Top, leaving not just the living but also the deceased in distress. As the road blockade persists, the bodies of loved ones lie stranded, awaiting transport while grieving families suffer in anguish.
Despite efforts by Beacon authorities, the road remains uncleared, causing severe shortages of essential supplies and leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in Kupwara. However, the crisis extends beyond hunger and cold—it has turned into a humanitarian tragedy.
The body of a sick child from Khodpara, who passed away in Srinagar, remains stranded, denied the dignity of a timely burial due to the failure of a promised helicopter service. Similarly, the body of a woman from Ghubra, Karnah, lies in Handwara Hospital, unable to return home. Families wait in agony, their grief compounded by the government’s inaction.
Meanwhile, Karnah remains in complete darkness as power outages stretch on, forcing people to endure freezing temperatures without electricity. Students, daily wagers, and patients are among the worst affected.
Outraged locals have taken to the streets, staging protests and sit-ins, demanding immediate road clearance and the swift transport of the deceased. “Had the administration acted on time, neither the living nor the dead would be suffering like this,” a protester lamented.
Residents urge authorities to act before more lives—and dignities—are lost to this preventable disaster.
