Expressing concern over the power situation in the Kashmir Valley during these winter months, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today directed the Power Development Department to pool all their human and material resources to provide relief to consumers. She said she has already released Rs. 10 crore for repair of damaged transformers and other equipment so that people don’t face any inconvenience on account of power supply.Chairing a high level meeting of officers of Kashmir Division to review the availability of essential services to people and also administration’s preparedness in view of the inclement weather as forecast by the MeT Department, the Chief Minister directed all the concerned Departments like PDD, R&B, MED, ULB, PHE, Health and other Departments to gear up in view of the weather forecast and deploy their men and machinery on the ground beforehand.
Mehbooba Mufti directed that there should not be any delay in snow clearance operations and, as soon as it starts to accumulate, snow clearance machines should be put in operation so that people do not face any inconvenience. She directed the PDD authorities to ensure replacement of damaged transformers with a quick rotation and also put all resources at their command to ensure that minimum cuts are resorted to while supplying electricity to consumers.On the occasion, the Chief Minister was informed that the R&B and Mechanical Engineering Departments have readied their men and machinery to meet any eventuality on account of any snowfall. “14 locations have been earmarked in Srinagar city where snow clearing machines would be deployed in case of any snowfall”, the Chief Minister was informed.It may be recalled that the Chief Minister during her stay here last time had directed keeping snow clearance machines available at critical points in Srinagar so that these could be mobilized quickly in case of any snowfall rather than getting them out from their workshops, causing inconvenience to people.Mehbooba Mufti was informed that the Department of Urban Local Bodies has also deployed 28 JCBs and a workforce of 2800 sweepers for snow clearance operations in case of any precipitation.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the meeting was told, which caters to around 4700 lanes and by lanes of Srinagar city, would be deploying 2500 sanitation workers for snow clearance and fixing other drainage issues. Also the SMC would be ready with 80 hydraulic pumps to drain out excess water from the low lying areas besides 60 mobile pumps would be deployed in case of water logging in any area of the city, the meeting was informed. The Chief Minister was informed that ration stocks for two months have been dumped in the Kashmir Valley, including the forward and hilly areas. Also at present 1.24 lac cooking gas cylinders are available and 124 trucks/tankers carrying LPG to the Kashmir Valley are in transit.Mehbooba Mufti directed deployment of a representative from CAPD Department for liasoning with Traffic Police for ensuring early movement of these 124 tankers to Srinagar.The Chief Minister was also informed that acting on her advice, separate Disaster Management wards have been earmarked at SKIMS and SMHS hospitals. Also sufficient stocks of medicine have been made available at all the district, secondary and tertiary care hospitals besides all the requisite doctors and paramedical staff are deployed at their respective places of working, the Chief Minister was informed.
Mehbooba Mufti was informed that water supply is being carried on normally and since the last snowfall a majority of affected water supply schemes have been restored. “If need be, tanker service would be provided in areas with shortage of drinking water”, the meeting was informed. The Chief Minister, however, expressed displeasure over the tardy pace of de silting in river Jhelum and directed taking measures for speeding up the desilting works in the river.Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti also directed swift resumption of work on Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover which has missed the completion deadline due to the summer unrest of 2016. She also directed starting of work on the green patches in Srinagar as envisioned in the Master Plan for the city.Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer A. Khan; IGP Kashmir zone, SJM Gillani; Director, SKIMS, Prof. Gul Javed; Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Prof. Kaisar Ahmad; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Lone; Director, Meteorological Department, Srinagar, Sonam Lotus; divisional heads of several Departments and Engineering wings besides representatives of Project Beacon and various Oil companies were present in the meeting.