Amid a raging pandemic in the region, the internet has remained shut for over 24 hours in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, making it difficult for people to raise SOS calls on social media platforms.
“For many patients the Internet is the oxygen these days but mobile Internet has still not been restored here,” a Shopian-based lawyer tweeted on Friday, nearly 24 hours since the mobile internet service was shut in the district.
The lawyer had earlier tweeted: “Some people are booking slots on #CowinApp for #vaccination. Some people are making/amplifying #SOS calls. Others are checking bed availability on portals. We in #Shopian #Kashmir are waiting for the mobile Internet to be restored.”
In the past few days, Kashmir’s Twitter space has remained overwhelmed with SOS alerts as people search for medicines, beds and oxygen while the unprecedented second wave of the coronavirus rattles the region.
The internet services were snapped as a precautionary measure in Shopian on Thursday morning as the gunfight had erupted at Kanigam village in Imam Sahib area in which three militants were killed and one had surrendered.
“Situation is peaceful, people are cooperating. There is no issue,” Sachin Kumar Deputy Commissioner Shopian told The Kashmir Walla over phone.
He said that the internet is shut because of yesterday’s gunfight and will be restored when the situation will get normal. “Internet is not needed anyway right now [because of lockdown].”
