Ruptly
"For families living along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, Uri, preparing a meal has become a daily struggle. This comes amid shortages and rocketing energy prices resulting from the war in the Middle East, with households in the area waiting for weeks for supplies. With their gas supplies depleted, locals, especially women, have to trek into nearby forests to gather firewood - a practice long forgotten after the authorities advocated LPG as a cleaner alternative. Footage shows a girl in the mountainous valley in the Indian-administered Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir carrying firewood on her head to be used to cook food. Women can be seen covering their faces with a cloth to prevent smoke from getting into their eyes as they prepare food. “We get firewood from the nearby forests and use our wood-fired stoves, which is impact our health and that of our children,” said local Shameema Akhter. “We are damaging our health. Aren’t we human beings? We also have the right to live, but not like this,” another local, Sajida Begum, lamented. Due to inconsistent electricity supply, which makes induction stoves unreliable, wood fires have become the sole option for warmth and cooking. Families find themselves preparing meals in the dark, inhaling harmful smoke. An LPG dealers in the valley says many people are storing extra gas beyond their immediate needs, which has created a temporary shortage. “Only 10-50 people are left, who will be given gas by the evening today. This will end as well,” explained LPG vendor Maqbool Ahmad Banday. “Now people have started to store gas, which is difficult for other people and us as well. We would also request people to buy as per their needs.” Geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran have created an acute LPG shortage after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. The recent surge in domestic LPG prices in India and restrictions on commercial supplies have intensified the crisis. Widespread rumours of shortages have also led to panic buying at gas agencies across Kashmir, exacerbating an already dire situation."
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