Asif Ali
The construction work for a 500-bedded Covid hospital at village Reshipora of district Budgam has stopped for unknown reasons, much to the disappointment of the locals, who had cooperated and had donated their land peacefully. The locals have raised their concerns over the sudden relocation of the proposed site for the Covid hospital, which was Reshipora in the Budgam district earlier and has been moved to Khonmoh, the Khrew area.
Budgam authorities had cut down hundreds of trees, last week at the proposed site for the 500 bed Covid hospital. On May 4, 2021, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam, Shabaz Mirza visited Reshipora village in Budgam district to take stock of the ongoing construction work of DRDO 500-bedded Covid hospital.
Other officials of PWD, CE PHE, divisional heads of various departments, a team of DRDO headed by Additional CE, (Scientist- E) Ravindra Kumar, ADC Budgam, Tehsildar Budgam, DD Health Services Kashmir, and other concerned were also present on the occasion.
The Divisional Commissioner said that work on the project should be completed within 35 days. Health authorities were directed to ensure timely deployment of doctors, as well as paramedical staff for the smooth functioning of the hospital to ensure better healthcare facilities to the Covid patients.
The construction on the 78 canals of land donated by the people of village Reshipora and the earthwork on the approaching road to the site was also completed. People in Budgam are demanding construction of this hospital at some other suitable site around Budgam if there are really any ‘technical issues.
The locals expressed dismay upon the sudden relocation of the hospital to Khanmoh.
Rayees Ahmad, who donated three kanals of land to the hospital, speaking to The Kashmiriyat said, “This is a gross injustice with the people of Budgam, we have donated some 80 Kanals of land to the hospital without any compensation from the government and now they have relocated it to Khanmoh. They cut down our green gold. This is not acceptable.”
Another local, Mir Arshid, expressed his anguish upon the relocation of the hospital to Khanmoh. He raised the question that if the government had already started construction at the proposed site now why this sudden move to relocate it? “I am told that extremely powerful cement manufacturing group has managed to manipulate the soil testing report at Reshipora site as negative as the business group, according to the people, wants the DRDO to hire its existing prefab structures at Khonmoh in Khrew area for the hospital infrastructure,” wrote a senior journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz in his Facebook post.
“If the site is being changed just for the benefit of an influential business group, it will be, least to say, unfortunate and extremely disappointing for the people of Budgam district as well as the land donors who have been disappointed by successive governments since the day they donated 78 Kanal of the community in a land free of cost in 2006 for the construction of a hospital at Reshipora, Budgam.” wrote Ahmed Ali Fayyaz.
The J&K Anjuman Sharie Shian speaking to The Kashmiriyat stated, “Budgam, being the nearest district to the summer capital, has faced immense development crisis, with the majority of its sectors remaining unexplored, in a statement issued to Kashmir news service.
Anjuman Sharie Shian has reaffirmed that Khonmoh is a catchment area for AIIMS, Awantipora. There is a need to rethink as far establishing health institutions are concerned. You have medical colleges in the south, north, tertiary care healthcare in Srinagar. Budgam deserves its share.”
They, further, added that the shifting of important health care facilities from Budgam depicts the historic injustice Budgam has been facing.
Upon talking to the Chairperson of District Development Council, Nazir Ahmad Khan, who told that Div. Commissioner P.K Pole visited the site and checked the feasibility of land himself and found it suitable for the establishment of the hospital.
He also added that the government has relocated the hospital to Khanmoh, which is already very polluted, and thus, they can not build the hospital near the industrial area. “Also, the work to the hospital had started at Reshipora, I do not know what happened overnight now they are relocating this hospital to the Khanmoh area.”
“AIIMS is already there in Awantipora how can they relocate this 500-bed hospital to this area this is a gross injustice with the people of Budgam district,” added Nazir Ahmad.
However, the following statement has come from the Budgam DC:
“DRDO has to construct a pre-engineered makeshift 500 bedded covid hospital in valley. It was to be completed on a war footing, in the shortest possible time before 31st May, in view of a surge in covid 19. The site in Budgam, which otherwise, is identified for construction of new district hospital, was offered.
The Area survey and the tree cutting at the site started on 2nd May. The Soil investigation was done on 3rd May. Due to poor soil conditions and marshy land, it was difficult to construct the makeshift hospital in the given timelines, as it required a lot of time-consuming efforts for the construction of the foundation, etc.
During the peak pandemic time, losing any precious time would not have served the purpose of dealing effectively with covid 19 to save human lives.
The covid Hospital is a makeshift facility on the whole and not a permanent hospital and as such, it is shifting from a place that should not be taken as a step amounting to depriving the district of any permanent health facility.
The land will be used for the construction of a new building for the District hospital when it is sanctioned. A DPR for the same has already been submitted to the government for consideration.”