The Jammu & Kashmir administration’s suspension of calling and Internet services on mobile phones for the second consecutive day on Thursday impacted COVID-19 related relief work and the contact tracing of infected patients in the Kashmir valley.
“The blanket ban on the communication network has badly interrupted our operations,” Javid Parsa, a volunteer with the non governmental organisation (NGO), Social Reform Organization (SRO), told The Hindu . “We have lost contact with families who were expecting help in the next few days. How can someone ask for help now? It’s not a good idea to shut mobile network and Internet amid a global pandemic,” he added.
The SRO has been distributing ration kits among stranded labourers and needy people, who are not able to earn their livelihood due to the lockdown, in the Valley.
“We had a meeting with volunteers on Thursday to find alternate ways to reach out and continue with our relief work,” said Mr. Parsa.
The NGO has already witnessed a dip in the daily donations made by locals to sustain the food distribution. “We request those who had committed donations from their salaries and have access to the Internet to deposit money in our account so that our material supplies don’t get affected,” said Mr. Parsa.
About a dozen NGOs are working on relief and supply in the Valley since the novel coronavirus outbreak, including on-call ambulance services for ferrying patients and the mortal remains of the deceased to far-off areas.
“We would supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and medicine on a need basis,” said a volunteer with another NGO. “We would even get calls from front-line health workers for protective gear. But in the absence of call facility, no delivery could be made on Thursday,” the volunteer added.
Amjaz Rizvi, a volunteer with NGO Ehsaas, said, “Our organization would receive distress calls where people are having just nothing to break their fast or have sehri (pre-dawn meals) in Ramzan. We had prepared special ration kits at a cost of ₹1,800 to feed a family for about a month. But the distribution has been hit badly due to non-availability of communication lines,” added Mr. Rizvi.
Meanwhile, a senior official said the contact tracing of recently tested positive patients had also been impacted due to calling facility being snapped.
“As and when any person tested positive at the Shri Maharaja Hari Sigh Hospital (SMHS) testing centre, we would immediately call those who were in touch with him,” said a senior doctor at the SMHS, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Mobile came handy to trace and alert the contacts. Contact tracing has been impacted,” the doctor added.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the Internet and calling facility was snapped “to stop rumour mongering after Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo’s killing” in an encounter on Wednesday.
“As and when the situation improves further, a review will be held and the services will be restored soon,” said Mr. Kumar.
