Srinagar: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Friday directed all concerned departments to complete winter preparedness arrangements well in advance, with particular emphasis on timely snow clearance, advance stocking of essential commodities in remote areas, uninterrupted power and water supply, and emergency healthcare services.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review winter preparedness across Kashmir Division, Garg directed the concerned agencies to ensure prompt snow clearance on highways, major roads, streets and internal lanes immediately after snowfall. He also called for clear demarcation of jurisdictional responsibilities among different agencies to avoid duplication and confusion during snow clearance operations.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioners of various districts, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Director Srinagar Airport, Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic Rural and senior officers of the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Roads and Buildings (R&B), Mechanical Engineering Department (MED), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Jal Shakti, Health, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Irrigation and Flood Control and other departments.
Reviewing snow clearance arrangements, the Divisional Commissioner assessed the action plans prepared by MED, R&B, PMGSY, Urban Local Bodies (ULB), SMC and BRO. He stressed optimal utilisation of available machinery and manpower and directed the agencies to complete all pending stage contracts to strengthen the snow clearance mechanism.
The concerned Chief Engineers and departmental officers informed the meeting that arrangements had been made to ensure timely snow clearance on roads and other important routes following snowfall.
Reviewing power sector preparedness, Garg took stock of electricity demand and supply, availability of buffer stocks of transformers, transformer oil, diesel generator sets and high-speed diesel (HSD) in Gurez, besides the progress of tree branch-cutting work to prevent damage to power infrastructure.
The meeting was informed that districts had adequate stocks of transformers and around 80 per cent of the branch-cutting work had been completed.
Officials informed that the average electricity demand in Kashmir during winter stands at around 1,700 megawatts against an average supply of 1,300 MW, while peak demand can reach 2,400 MW.
The Divisional Commissioner directed the Chief Engineer, KPDCL, to augment the capacity of workshops wherever required, complete the remaining branch-cutting work at the earliest and ensure prompt replacement and repair of damaged transformers. He also stressed strict adherence to the scheduled power curtailment timings.
Taking stock of the availability of essential commodities in remote and snowbound areas, including Gurez and the Karnah-Machil-Keran belt, Garg directed the FCS&CA Department to complete advance stocking of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petroleum products, rice and wheat within one week.
He stressed that adequate stocks must be maintained in all far-flung areas to prevent shortages and inconvenience to residents during prolonged road closures caused by snowfall.
Taking note of delays in the commencement of winter air sorties in Bandipora and Kupwara districts, the Divisional Commissioner directed the Civil Aviation Department to operationalise the facility by December 1 to ensure emergency transportation from remote and inaccessible areas.
Regarding flight operations at Srinagar Airport, he directed the airport authorities to ensure timely dissemination of information to passengers and the general public about changes in flight schedules due to adverse weather conditions.
Healthcare preparedness also came under review, with the Divisional Commissioner assessing heating arrangements in hospitals, availability of essential medicines, deployment of medical personnel in far-flung areas and the requirement for four-wheel-drive (4×4) ambulances.
He directed the National Health Mission (NHM) to provide 4×4 ambulances to the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir for distribution among districts, in addition to the ambulances available under the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY).
Emphasising the need for advance medical arrangements, Garg directed the Health Department to prepare comprehensive lists of expectant mothers and critically ill patients residing in vulnerable and remote areas. He said arrangements should also be made for shifting such patients and pregnant women to temporary shelters in advance wherever necessary, particularly in view of possible heavy snowfall and road closures.
Reviewing the Jal Shakti Department’s preparedness, he directed officials to ensure uninterrupted functioning of all Public Health Engineering (PHE) schemes, including lift water supply schemes. He also called for adequate arrangements for deploying water tankers wherever required to maintain drinking water supplies.
The Divisional Commissioner further directed the Forest Department to ensure sufficient stocks of firewood at depots across the Valley.
To strengthen emergency response and interdepartmental coordination, Garg directed all district administrations and concerned departments to ensure round-the-clock functioning of their respective control rooms, including the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). He also called for the appointment of nodal officers and circulation of their contact details to facilitate coordination and timely assistance during emergencies.
Stressing the importance of timely weather-related information, he directed the concerned departments to promptly disseminate weather and avalanche forecasts and advisories to the public to minimise risks and prevent loss of life.
In view of possible waterlogging during the winter season, Garg asked the Commissioner, SMC, to identify vulnerable and waterlogging-prone locations across Srinagar city and ensure adequate deployment of dewatering pumps to deal with any eventuality.
He also stressed accountability in the delivery of emergency services and directed officers to maintain proper records of the time when an issue is reported and the time taken by the concerned department to resolve it.
During the meeting, Deputy Commissioners briefed the Divisional Commissioner about preparedness measures undertaken in their respective districts and highlighted issues requiring intervention.
Garg called for close coordination among all departments and stressed that essential arrangements should be completed before the onset of severe winter conditions to minimise public inconvenience and safeguard residents across Kashmir Division.