Uttarkashi: Nearly 4,000 residents in villages across the Barsaali belt of Uttarkashi district continue to live without mobile network access. Villagers say they have to travel about 12km to Nakuri on the Gangotri highway to make calls, use the internet, apply for govt schemes or even carry out basic banking work.Panchayat member Ganendra Rawat said many villages, including Singot, Paw, Mangli Sera and Kunsi, do not even have a 2G signal. “We can inquire about each other’s well-being only when we meet. Mobile phones here work mostly to see the time and as cameras,” he said.Residents say the wide digital gap is affecting children the hardest, with no access to online education. “Most govt schemes are online-based. Due to the lack of network, villagers cannot avail many benefits,” said Yashpal Rawat of Singot.BSNL assistant general manager Anil Kumar said a private company had earlier installed a mobile tower in the area, but its closure triggered the current network crisis. He said BSNL has now installed a new tower in Singot and work is in progress. “The tower will be operational as soon as the satellite system installation is complete,” he said.A proposal for another tower in Pav village has also been submitted. If approved, officials said, it would strengthen coverage across the Barsaali Patti region.
