Bandipora: Famous tourist spot of Athwatoo in Bandipora district which is thronged by many tourists during summers and has attracted a substantial number of tourists for about a decade now is without mobile network connectivity.
According to reports, the unavailability of mobile network in the area has disappointed the visitors as well as locals residing there.
Athwatoo is located on the foothills of Harmukh Mountains, surrounded by serene and thick forests besides crystalline water gushing down the slopes.
Many visitors who come to Athwatoo to spent time with their family and friends said that they were disappointed because of lack of mobile connectivity in the area.
"We come to spend quality time here as this is a beautiful and a famous tourist spot. It is must visit place, however, lack of mobile connectivity here is a cause of concern. In today’s world no one would want to be disconnected from outside world," said Basharat Ahmad, a visitor.
He said that their phones had no network when they were in Athwatoo and it was worrisome for their family back home as they were not able to contact them.
"After driving more than a kilometer down we were able to find network coverage and were able to connect with family and friends back home. Athwatoo is such a beautiful place and I would urge everyone to visit here but lack of mobile connectivity is an issue and authorities should do the needful to redress this problem, “said another visitor, Ashiq Hussain.
Over the years the place has been visited by many foreign tourists as well but they too have rued unavailability of mobile connectivity. Locals said that they have to walks down more than a kilometer to find network coverage even as the village is located just at a distance of 30 minutes from district headquarters. They appealed the Lt. Governor Girish Chandar Murmu to personally look into the matter in order to resolve this issue as it would boost the tourist flow to the place—(KNO)