In a state of preparedness

The snowfall at some places has brought cheers to many faces. Unlike last year people expect that the tourist spots, like Gulmarg, receive a good snowfall. That is absolutely important to see the rush of tourist and also an uptick in the winter sports. But away from such spots and into the populous areas of Kashmir, snowfall comes with its own set of problems. Over the decades we have seen how even a moderate snowfall brings life to a standstill in many areas.

Even in the city itself, a major snowfall is no less than a calamity. The roads get closed, hospital bound patients have a tough time, markets get inundated and the interiors get almost blocked. In the good olden days government would have some dedicated arrangements for snow clearance and other winter related works. The staff and the machines would fling into action even before an actual snowfall. The drills in advance would set the tone for meeting any challenges that a snowfall would throw up. But then, we witnessed a time when a snowfall would happen but there would be no bundobaust to meet the challenge.

With a civilian government in place one would expect that all arrangements related to any challenges that major snowfall throws up are in place. The machines that clear the roads off the snow, the drainage system, the provisions that are needed here in the valley, all aspects have been by now looked into. The departments that are particularly assigned the winter related tasks are expected to be in a state of preparedness.

In the developed parts of the world winters are thoroughly enjoyed. There are no disruptions. Life goes on as usual. But unfortunately our case is different. In case of a heavy snowfall our electricity supplies are impacted, our roads remain closed, our markets face shortage of supplies, and people, particularly older population face many health related problems. With so much of advancement in machines this shouldn't be the case now. The government should have enough arrangement put in place to ensure a smooth flow of things even if there is a major snowfall.