“Starting the snow clearance operation after the snowfall stops as per the past precedences and practices doubles the troubles for both the men and machinery and as well as the people of the areas disconnected due to unprecedented delays in snow clearance operations in almost all parts of the Kashmir Valley.”
Nothing new in it that heavy snowfalls disrupt supply lines and delivery of public services during peak winter periods in both plains and hilly areas in Kashmir Valley and some inaccessible hilly areas of Jammu division. Though claims of preparedness by the Government to meet any eventuality that arise in the aftermath of snowfalls are quite satisfying but experiences of decades show that within hours after snowing starts the departments tasked the job of maintaining essential supplies and delivery of public services fail to deliver the job they are tasked. Hope it doesn’t happen this winter again in Kashmir again this winter. Snowing started Friday morning and vehicles were found dancing on the roads on most of the intetr district routes again as snow clearance machines reportedly kept in a position of preparedness for snow clearance operations were found no where clearing snow on the intetr-district routes in Kashmir Valley. The R&B Department obliged to carry out snow clearance operations on roads connecting Summer Capital Srinagar with the district headquarters not moving out to clear few inches of snow on any inter-district route itself shows the seriousness of the Government about its winter preparedness in Kashmir Valley. Starting the snow clearance operation after the snowfall stops as per the past precedences and practices doubles the troubles for both the men and machinery and as well as the people of the areas disconnected due to unprecedented delays in snow clearance operations in the upper reaches.
“Onus of restoring supplies and services lies on Deputy Commissioners, municipal authorities of cities and towns and heads of engineering departments in districts and tehsils across Kashmir. Restoration of supplies and services is not to be started after the snowfall stop but immediately after the snowfall starts.”
The delays in snow clearance operations not only are the causes of fatal road accidents on highways after snowfalls in Kashmir Valley but are also the causes of delays in the shifting of ailing people from villages and towns to main referral hospitals of Srinagar city which in most of the cases also results in avoidable deaths of patients. Similarly the unprecedented delays in the restoration of power supplies after the snowfall disrupts the supply of water to both residential populations and as well as commercial establishments across Kashmir and usually it takes the power restoration teams days together to restore power supply in phases in cities, towns and Villages across Kashmir. Restoring services in Srinagar city the summer capital is no achievement as the restoration of services in towns and villages is as important as is the restoration of supplies and services in Srinagar city. It is not the job of the Chief Minister and administrative secretaries to restore supplies and services in short time after the snowfall but onus of restoring supplies and services lies on Deputy Commissioners, municipal authorities of cities and towns and heads of engineering departments in districts and tehsils across Kashmir. Restoration of supplies and services is not to be started after the snowfall stop but immediately after the snowfall starts.
