KL Report
SRINAGAR
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) will launch mock drills from Friday, January 31 ahead of the fresh prediction of two spells of snowfall in the valley in the next 20 days.
According to a statement issued to KNS, the direction to carry out mock drills, which will start from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm, to evaluate preparedness of the SMC was issued by SMC commissioner Dr G N Qasba in a high level meeting he chaired today in Srinagar. The commissioner was apprised of likelihood of fresh spells of snowfall from February 2-5 and February 14-17.
The meeting, which was also attended by senior SMC official including chief sanitation officer Hakim Ejaz, also charted out a detailed plan to clear snow from the city areas. The commissioner decided to divide the city into 21 zones. “We have also chalked out detailed plan for priority areas where snow will be removed in the first phase to avoid any inconvenience to the public. All essential installations like hospitals, power stations, shrines, mosques and other places of importance will be attended to swiftly in the wake of fresh snowfall,” said Dr Qasba.
The commissioner also noted the details of the ongoing urs (religious congregations) at several shrines, including the shrines of Dastigeer Sahib at Khanyar and at Saraibala and Rehbab sahib, in the city. “The priority will be to clear the approach roads and the premises of such shrines so that devotees pay obeisance without any hassle. The movement of traffic to such religious places will be a priority,” said the commissioner.
The SMC has already alerted its 2700 ground staff and instructed that all necessary snow-clearance machines are kept on a stand by mode so that that they are mobilised immediately on the day of snowfall.
