Kashmir admin gears up to tackle winter challenges amid ongoing dry spell

Srinagar, Nov 10: The ongoing dry spell in Kashmir has emerged as a challenge for the administration which is gearing up to tackle the winter vagaries.

The ongoing dry spell in Kashmir has left the officials of the Jal Shakti Department worried. They are hoping that it ends soon. “The water level in most of the rivers across Kashmir is at its lowest. If the dry spell doesn’t end it can lead to water scarcity,” said an official.

“If the temperature falls below the freezing point without Kashmir receiving a good spell of rain and snow then the situation can become difficult,” he said.

The Power Development Department, according to the officials, has intensified branch cutting drives to ensure that no area faces power disruptions during snowfall.

“During the past few years, our department has worked very hard to ensure that snowfall doesn’t disrupt power. Branch cutting of trees, replacing old electric poles and transformers are mandatory exercises that are carried out before the winter sets in,” a PDD official said.

He said that this year also the department has put in all the efforts to ensure that inclement weather doesn’t plunge any area into darkness. “But low water levels can lead to a decline in overall power generation and it can lead to power cuts,” the official added.

Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while chairing a review meeting in Srinagar directed the officials not to let the people suffer in winters as dry weather has added to challenges.

During the meeting issue of less precipitation and low water levels in river Jhelum and other streams was discussed threadbare.

“The prolonged dry spell is already creating challenges of depleted water levels and reduced power generation due to a decrease in water flow. We need to ensure that plans are implemented to ensure that people don’t face any hardships,” the Chief Minister told the officials.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Centre Srinagar on Sunday predicted light rain and snowfall over the higher reaches of Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

An independent weather observer Faizan Arif said a fresh weak Western disturbance (WD) is set to impact Jammu and Kashmir from Sunday night.

He said another WD, but weaker, is going to impact between November 14 and 16 and may cause light snowfall over a few higher reaches of Kashmir.