Electricity restored in Kashmir
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Jan 6: Learning from the sluggish snow clearance during the first snowfall on December 28, the Government response this time was better.
While the first snowfall had caught the administration off guard, with most roads uncleared even by evening, this time major roads were cleared early morning.
Residents were able to move without hassle, despite the snowfall being lighter than predicted. “The snow clearance was much better this time. Although the snowfall was below what was forecasted, there was no disruption in traffic,” said a local.
The administration and elected representatives worked in tandem to minimize disruptions. Many residents also appreciated the timely restoration of electricity. “All the link roads were cleared on time,” Zaroor Ahmad Malik, a resident of Ganderbal said.
While visiting different areas of Srinagar city to assess the post-snowfall measures, Srinagar Municipal Corporation commissioner Owaise Ahmad said that, in view of the predictions, they were already prepared to deal with the snowfall and all men and machinery were ready.
“With a dedicated workforce and advanced machinery, SMC teams have been actively clearing snow and excess water from lanes and bylanes since early morning. Our teams are doing outstanding work under challenging conditions,” he said.
He also mentioned that to enhance efficiency, dewatering operations are being monitored through the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. “Currently, 67 out of 100 dewatering stations are under real-time surveillance, allowing for effective management of water levels,” he added.
Snow clearance was not limited to Srinagar; major efforts were also made in North and South Kashmir. In Baramulla, roads were cleared in the morning only, allowing residents to commute without problems. “The roads were cleared on time, and there was no disruption in the movement of people or vehicles. This time, the administration was much more organized,” a local said.
In South Kashmir’s Anantnag, locals also highlighted the timely snow removal efforts. “Unlike the last snowfall, main roads and even some of the smaller link roads were cleared very quickly. The government’s response was better this time,” another resident said.
The Power Development Department (PDD) today said that it has restored electricity in all areas after overnight snowfall. It said that there was no major damage recorded due to the snow.
“Although there was no major fault or damage that could have disrupted the electricity because of the snow, in some areas there was a minor smash up to transmission lines and DTs which we restored immediately,” a PDD official said.
“As of now we have restored electricity in all areas of Kashmir region. The power supply has increased and as of now we are supplying over 1800 MWs of power to the consumers of Kashmir region,” he said.
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