Winter Preparedness

With the onset of winter, focus has shifted towards winter preparedness at the official level. Among other things, the immediate need post a major snowfall is always road clearance and restoration of disrupted power supply, and continuation of health services. For effective and immediate road clearance, the availability of snow clearance machines in adequate number is essential.

Be it Srinagar city, towns or rural areas, the availability must be there. In past it has been noticed that several link roads are not cleared immediately in a number of areas thus disrupting the vehicular traffic movement.

This delay in these areas needs to be avoided. While the major roads get priority for obvious reasons, the link roads must not be ignored. Snow bound roads create problems to the residents. Men and machinery must be available for road clearance.

The major snowfall sometimes knocks down electric polls and damages the power supply lines and transformers.

Disruption in power supply is caused also as damaged tree branches fall on power supply lines leading to faults. The pruning of trees must be done and completed wherever needed before a major snowfall.

Efforts should be made to minimise the occurrence of such faults during a snowfall. The damaged transformers must get replaced within the set official deadline. The ration and other essentials must be stocked in advance in required quantity in the remote areas, which get cut off from rest of Kashmir, after a major snowfall.

The people in these areas must not suffer due to want of ration, essential commodities and other food items. Medicines too have to be kept available in advance in the government health facilities there. The stock of ration and essentials must be available in other area of valley also so that there is no shortage after a snowfall.

Efforts have to be made to minimise the winter related problems to the people during winter. The concerned authorities have been taking steps in this direction. Whatever improvement needed in such measures need to be made.