Dumak's Decades of Despair: The Unending Quest for Connectivity

Residents of Dumak, a village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, are on a hunger strike demanding road connectivity. For over four decades, their pleas have only been met with promises. Despite efforts and partial construction, the road remains incomplete, forcing villagers to protest continuously.

Braving freezing temperatures, Dumak villagers in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district entered the fourth day of a hunger strike outside the district magistrate's office, demanding long-needed road access to their remote village.

Despite decades of appeals, government assurances have yet to deliver tangible results. Villager Babita Devi shared her frustrations, stating that promises have far outnumbered actions. In June 2022, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar visited Dumak and committed to resolving the issue within a month, but progress remains stagnant.

A road was approved in 2007-08, but construction halts and realignment discussions have left it unfinished. Locals rally under the Sangharsh Samiti, led by Prem Singh Sanwal and Rajendra Singh, to push forward their cause as discontent simmers.

(With inputs from agencies.)