The hills of Ramban rise and fall like long waves, carrying the Chenab River in their folds. Pogal, Paristan, and Neel sit deep inside these folds.

Life here has moved at its own pace, far from the attention that other parts of Jammu and Kashmir receive.

Roads remained incomplete. Bridges held on through storms. Electricity flickered more than it flowed. Many projects, from rail lines to highway upgrades, passed these valleys without touching them. Families learned to expect very little from the world outside.

A fresh sense of hope arrived recently when the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change cleared the 1856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project in village Tanger. The site stands miles away, but the impact reached these remote communities at once.

It felt like an acknowledgment that Ramban's most distant villages matter.

I travelled through Maligam, a village that links Pogal and Paristan. Terraced fields stepped down to the Chenab. In the shade of a walnut tree, Bashir Ahmed rested after a long morning on his land. His hands told the story of years of work.

“Projects came to other areas,” he said.“Our villages stayed cut off. Pogal, Paristan, Neel... we waited and waited. Sawalkote feels like a new sun rising here.”

He looked toward the hills and spoke of his son.“He dreams of work near home. Young people leave because they have no other choice. This time, I hope he will stay.”

This feeling repeats across these villages.

Sawalkote carries the promise of energy for the region, a dam and a powerhouse carved into the mountains.

For local residents, the true meaning lies elsewhere. It signals that development can reach villages long left outside the map of progress. The emotional impact is clear: the people feel seen.

In Neel Valley, children ran along the water as if sensing some shift. They imagine brighter classrooms and homes that stay lit at night.

MENAFN26112025000215011059ID1110398662