Death traps without barriers: Ganderbal’s unfenced power canals claim lives, livestock

Ganderbal, Nov 10: Major power canals in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district have become virtual death traps, operating for decades without proper fencing or safety barriers.

The water canals feeding the Upper Sindh Hydro Power House (USHP) Stage-I in Sumbal and Stage-II in Kangan—stretching from Kullan to Kangan—remain exposed and unprotected, posing grave risks to thousands of residents and their livestock.

Despite being operational since the 1970s, the 10-kilometre USHP-I canal and 23-kilometre USHP-II canal have never been adequately fenced. What were once guarded waterways with watchers and street lighting have been abandoned for over two decades.

“No one has ever bothered to fence these canal banks. There have been several incidents where locals lost their lives and livestock,”