Srinagar- On a hazy November afternoon, the Jhelum River flowed silently beneath the Old Zero Bridge, its dark depths mirroring the despair in the eyes of a young man teetering on the edge. His friends, high on drugs and fuelled by bravado, filmed his “heroic” act, oblivious to the thin line between dare and disaster. Fortunately, alert cops in civvies intervened, saving his life but laying bare a stark reminder of the invisible battle raging beneath the veneer of Srinagar’s bustling streets.
“The teen’s friends were filming his reckless antics on their cell phones while he was high on drugs, without giving a damn that he might not make it out alive. I, as a parent, place more guilt on myself than on the children,” Mohammad Yusuf from Rajbagh told Kashmir Observer.
“We see them every day,” Yusuf lamented, his voice heavy with concern.
They gather under the bridge, smoke weed, drink, their language laced with filth. It’s a sight that breaks your heart,” he added.
Old Zero Bridge is expected to become a major drug hotspot in the future, according to the locals living nearby, in case the administration does not enact a general prohibition on ‘unjustifiable’ gatherings of youngsters, particularly students, on a regular basis.
The problem isn’t confined to one park or bridge. Whispers of “new hotspots” – Srinagar Club,Chinar Bagh Park Dalagate and Bund Residency Road – hung a heavy cloud over the city’s social scene.
“Students in hordes gather at these places, and the trend lasts until late in the evening. Some cause mayhem under the influence of drugs near the Srinagar Club, others could be seen injecting drugs beneath the wooden canopies,” a resident, wishing anonymity said.
A teenager lost his life in September last year, following a scuffle with his friend at Chinar Bagh Park. The lone son of their parents, according to the reports, was stabbed by his friend.
Youngsters were observed abusing drugs and engaging in other criminal activities at Chinar Bagh Park at Dalgate, which the locals living in the adjacent localities claimed is also emerging as a major drug hotspot in the vicinity.
“We had requested that the park be closed by the authorities since it has turned into a refuge for drug addicts. Teenage lads smoking weed and consuming alcohol are common sights. Police conducted frequent raids after a kid died following a scuffle with his friend last year. Yet, there was no change that we could see on the ground,” Tanveer Ahmad from Dalgate said.
“After abusing drugs, these drug-addled youth act anyway they choose, disregarding the repercussions,” he added.
Residents from Kursoo Rajbagh and Padshahi Bagh areas also described similar scenes and appealed to the administration to take stringent actions against these drug addicts at the earliest.
“Drug abusers, boozers and gamblers have made the riverbank near Kursoo Rajbagh and Padshahi Bagh portions their safe haven. We are unable to adequately express what we see taking place there,” Showkat Ahmad from Kursoo Rajbagh claimed.
“There is a lack of police presence in these areas, which serves as motivation for drug dealers and drug addicts alike,” he added.
People who live nearby and run businesses at the historic Bund said they frequently witness kids smoking pot and injecting narcotics while seated on wooden benches, all without fear.
“Watching youngsters indulging in immoral activities along the Bund, a once-respected marketplace and tourist destination in Srinagar disturbs me greatly. The Bund has now turned into a hotbed of drug addiction and depravity,” Muzaffar Ahmad, a local said.
Promising prompt action, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat said the district administration has always been serious vis-à-vis drug abuse and drug peddling in the district.
“I will definitely look into the matter and a prompt action will be taken in this direction soon,” DC Srinagar told Kashmir Observer.
Superintendent of Police (SP) East Mubashir Hussain expressed concern about the emergence of new drug hotspots in civil lines areas of Srinagar, such as the old Zero Bridge, Srinagar Club, and the Bund Residency Road.
The SP concerned promised strict action against anyone caught abusing or selling drugs.
“To guarantee the children are spared from a painful poisonous end, I promise that strict monitoring will be enforced at the Old Zero Bridge and other sites henceforth. A police squad will be dispatched to these locations, and anyone found selling or consuming drugs will face harsh consequences, SP East told Kashmir Observer.
He also urged the people to assist the police in identifying drug dealers and emerging drug hotspots in their vicinities so that appropriate legal action might be taken against them.
Pertinently, Kashmir valley is battling a drug addiction crisis; over 10 lakh people were officially designated drug addicts by the Jammu and Kashmir administration this year. According to data from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, 1.08 lakh men and 36,000 women were found using cannabis in J&K in 2022; 5.34 lakh men and 8,000 women consumed opioids; 1.6 lakh men and 8,000 women abused sedatives; and 1.27 lakh men and 7,000 women were hooked to inhalants.
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