How Faulty Power Took Muneeb's Life in Kashmir

What should have been a simple outing became a tragedy. Muneeb's death highlights systemic neglect in Kashmir's power infrastructure, putting youth and workers at constant risk.

- Dabirah Hassan

The sun had just climbed above the mountains when Syed Muneeb, 22, and his friends unpacked their picnic by the lakeside in Athwatoo, Bandipora.

The air was crisp, water smooth, and for a few hours, life seemed ordinary.

The boys gathered firewood, joked, and watched the mist roll off the lake. Then Muneeb's hand brushed against a steel pole at the edge of the clearing.

One moment he was laughing. And the next, he collapsed.

His friends tried CPR. Someone ran for an ambulance. By the time help arrived, it was too late.

The postmortem confirmed electrocution. PDD officials initially claimed the pole carried no current. But neighbours knew the truth.

"We warned the department many times," said one, her voice trembling. "Nothing was done until a young life was lost."

In his hometown of Budgam, Muneeb's death adds to a growing list of similar tragedies.

In July 2025, two students from Ichgam were electrocuted after a live wire fell into a spring where they were bathing. One died on the spot, the other succumbed to injuries two days later in Srinagar.

A daily-rated PDD worker in Srinagar survived after a live wire threw him to the ground outside the Deputy Commissioner's office, leaving him bedridden for months.

Two more PDD employees died while repairing a transformer at Budgam Receiving Station last year. Across the valley, poles stand exposed, wires sag, and transformers age without maintenance.

Data from local hospitals and police reports paint a grim picture.