In Neelum-Jhelum's Shadow: Bat Nara's Cry for Basic Amenities

Residents of Bat Nara, a village located in the Lachhrat constituency of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), are voicing deep frustration. Despite being just three kilometers from the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, one of Pakistan's major power-generating projects, they suffer from a lack of essential facilities.

The villagers remain without electricity, clean drinking water, healthcare services, and functional educational institutions. The irony is stark: the Neelum-Jhelum Project adds over 1,000 megawatts to the national grid, yet Bat Nara itself languishes without power.

Education in Bat Nara is in particular crisis. The village has a designated girls' primary school and a boys' middle school, but both exist only on paper. Parents report that their children have never seen a teacher in class. "Our daughters are eager to study, but without a proper school environment or staff, they are idle," one resident stated.

Beyond education, villagers report the natural springs, once their primary water source, have dried up due to the Neelum-Jhelum project construction. Clean water is now rare, leaving families in distress. Additionally, healthcare is nonexistent, with no dispensary or basic medical support available.

Residents accuse successive governments of neglect despite promises during election campaigns. They warn that if steps aren't taken before the upcoming elections, they may bar political leaders from entering the village. "Living just kilometers from a project that powers the nation, we are trapped without electricity, education, or health facilities," declared a local elder, urging authorities to urgently address their plight.

Bat Nara residents demand immediate provision of electricity, clean water, functioning schools with qualified teachers, and a dispensary. Without these, they say their village remains a stark symbol of state neglect.