People in remote areas left to fend for themselves
Srinagar, January 12: After the recent heavy snowfall, people across Kashmir valley have been grappling with severe crisis as the administration has miserably failed to not only clear snow from the link roads, but restore water and electricity supply fully.
Snowfall is nothing new in Kashmir given its climatic conditions and topography. But despite that the administration was caught napping as most of the link roads still remain closed more than a week after the snowfall. The snow and the government’s failure to anticipate challenges despite the meteorological department’s warning of heavy to very heavy snow, have thrown life completely out of gear in the Valley and angered people.
In Kandi areas of the valley people have been left to fend for themselves as there is not only acute shortage of essential commodities, but electricity and water supply too has been affected. Roads to these areas remain still closed. The patients, particularly pregnant women, and those with cancer and other severe ailments have been left to fend for themselves.
In South Kashmir districts, where five to six feet snow was recorded in most areas, the administration was caught completely unprepared. From power breakdown to closure of roads in South Kashmir, people are battling with every hardship, but the administration seems to be clueless.
Elsewhere in the Valley, the heavy snowfall has led to power breakdown, road blockades, and water-logging which have caused immense hardships to common people. In the recent job exams conducted by Jammu and Kashmir, aspirants from far-flung areas could not reach the venues due to heavy snowfall. It is imperative that the J&K Bank administration takes the weather situation into consideration and holds a new exam for such candidates, who missed it due to snowfall and closure of the roads.
The 270-kilometers long Srinagar-Jammu national highway has remained closed for the most of the times in the last two weeks with hundreds of trucks carrying essential supplies stranded. This has caused sacristy and skyrocketing of essential commodities. To meet the challenges, the higher-ups in administration need to ensure better coordination between various departments especially those providing essential services. The government must ensure there is no chaos for scarcity of essential commodities including LPG, petrol, diesel, and emergency services should be monitored and damaged power distribution lines immediately repaired.
The administration must also expedite the restoration of damaged power and water supply as people have been braving biting cold.
