Amid foggy mornings, SDRP patrols Dal Lake to help visitors

Srinagar, Nov 25: Amid foggy mornings, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams stationed at Nehru Park have intensified their morning patrols to help visitors and locals there.

Officials from the SDRF said that earlier they used to be stationed at Nehru Park on the Dal Lake banks to be available for any help. “Due to continuous fog in the mornings, we patrol Dal lake in the early mornings.

“Many tourists are putting up in houseboats who have to leave for different destinations in the early morning. The visibility is very low and whenever required, we escort them and help them in other ways. We are also in standby mode to help in case of any rescue,” said an official.

The officials said that for the past two weeks, fog has been a major issue in Dal vicinity, and there is very low visibility. They said that their teams start as early as 5 am to help those who might require any help.

“There are many Shikaraw and houseboat owners, and others who paddle through Dal in early morning. At times, due to low visibility, they are unable to see the direction and require our help. This also helps in keeping any untoward incident at bay,” said another official.

Shabir Ahmad, a Shikara owner, said that they require help many times. “Whenever we feel they require any assistance, they call the SDRF team members.

“Since the morning patrol has started now, it has made things easy. Many tourists have early morning flights, and they leave amid heavy fog. In such circumstances, there is a need for these patrols. We also benefit from it, and this can save many lives by the timely action of SDRF who are patrolling,” Ahmad said.