Vessu industrial estate lacks street lights, water

Anantnag: The industrial unit holders here at Vessu Industrial Estate are facing difficulties due to lack of water supply and street lights – after waiting for more than a decade-and-a-half for the estate to get functional.
The estate, based on 250 kanals of land, in Vessu area of Qazigund was demarcated for industrial purpose in the year 2003. The area was to be developed with a cost of more than Rs 11 crore and then handed over to industrialists.
“It took a long time before the units were actually demarcated and allotted to the people, who wanted to carry out industrial activities at the estate,” one of the unit holders told Kashmir Reader.
It was only a couple of years ago that the land was actually handed over to the unit holders. Some among them have already started their units. However, the lack of street lights and running water inside the estate is proving to be a serious deterrent to their work.
“In Kashmir, we work in difficult conditions, which include an erratic power schedule and inclement weather. We are often forced to work during the night and in such a scenario, lack of street lights is turning out to be a serious impediment for us,” another unit holder told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the street lights were working for more than two years, but recently the Power Development Department (PDD) snapped the lines and insisted that an agreement needs to be formulated between them and the SICOP.
“The SICOP keeps insisting that they do not have an agreement for street lights in any of the industrial estates in Kashmir. The crux is, while they are fighting it out, we are suffering,” the unit holders said.
Unavailability of running water is another serious issue which the unit holders say is hampering their work. They say that apart from the factories, their workers need running water for daily use and have to fetch it from outside the estate.
“We have been pleading with the SICOP authorities to sort our issues out, but no one seems to be listening to us here,” the unit holders lamented.
Kashmir Reader talked to the District Industries Officer (DIO), Zahoor Ahmad, who categorically refuted the claims that street lights were not working at the estate.
“The street lights have been working at the estate for a year,” he said. “As far as the water is concerned, we need to install a transformer to get running water supplied at the estate and that will be done soon as well.”

Suhail A Shah