Ejaz-ul-haq Bhat
Bandipora, Jan 28 (KNO): District administration Bandipora has said that it airlifted 127 passengers stranded in Bandipora and Gurez to their respective destinations.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), 107 passengers were airlifted from Bandipora to Dawar and vice-versa on Monday in 06 air sorties by Mi-17 chopper.
Another 10 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Dawar and vice-versa in 02 sorties by Pawan Hans. The sorties were taken from Baduaab in Tulail, from Dawar and from Sonerwani in Bandipora to evacuate the stranded passengers and patients from these places.
According to the official release there are more passengers stranded in Dawar, Neeru and Baduaab who also need to be evacuated and passengers from Neeru and Baduaab need priority. In this regard district administration has requested that Mi-17 helicopter service may be arranged for another day in order to evacuate the stranded passengers.
Pertinent, the 84-km Bandipora-Gurez road remains closed from last more than a month now due to heavy snowfall in the area. Gurez valley remains cut-off from rest of the valley during winter months due to heavy snowfall on Razdam Pass and Gurez valley. Due to the closure of Bandipora-Gurez road, the people of Gurez have to face a lot of inconveniences during winter months as they are isolated from rest of the valley
