J-K: Remote Dacchan gets ropeway, will connect people with rest of Kishtwar

People in Dacchan in Jammu and Kashmir's border district Kishtwar will now not have to cover a treacherous journey for household items and other material as the authorities have built a ropeway cradle box over a river that separated them from the rest of the territory.

The picturesque remote belt has not any road connectivity with the district and the people have to criss-cross 18 kilometres distance by foot through forests and slopes to reach to the other side.

Now that the district administration has installed a ropeway cradle box over the river -- a demand that has been met after decades -- the people are finding it easy to connect to the other side and ferry material, especially household items, as the winter approaches.

The villagers found their voices heard when Marwah sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Javed Iqbal Rather visited Sounder-Dacchan recently. He had to cross the river via a traditional rope near Soharbhatti Dachhan to reach there.

Sensing the gravity of the situation and the trouble the villagers have to face, he took up the matter of a ropeway cradle box to be installed over the river with District Development Commissioner (DDC), Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, officials said.

Then came the orders from the DDC office, directing the installing of the cradle box by the executing agencies concerned at the earliest.

The Public Works Department (PWD), Marwah, got into action and installed the cradle box at Soharbhatti-Dacchhan within five days, to facilitate carrying of men and material over the river, the officials said.

Singh said the installation of ropeway cradle box will not only help locals but to the department of food and supplies as well to carry foodgrains for dumping to the remote area so that people will not face difficulties in the winter.