Postwoman braves weather for doorstep delivery

NEITHER the scorching summer sun nor the biting winter cold can stop Ulfat Jan, a postwoman in Kashmir, from making deliveries.

- FAYAZ WANI

For three decades, she has delivered letters, parcels and money orders to the residents of the remote Hirpora village in south Kashmir's Shopian district, braving harsh weather and whatnot.

Ask her what challenges she has faced over the years, and pat comes her response: "It was very tough distributing letters and parcels to people before the advent of mobile phones. I had to travel to a village and then go from door to door and shop to shop to find the recipient."

That was, however, far from the only challenge, as the 55-year-old explains, "Making deliveries amid very heavy snowfall was another challenge. It was treacherous."