Arrangements reviewed for snowbound areas of J&K

Scoop News January 07, 2012

Jammu, January 07 (Scoop News) – With a view to provide immediate relief to stranded passengers and general people due to heavy snow fall and hostile weather conditions, the district administration Udhampur has geared up its men and machinery to deal with the situation effectively.

To review the arrangements put in place by the different departments, the Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, P.K Pole today convened a meeting of officers in his office chamber.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Rajinder Singh, Additional SP, Udhampur, Rajinder Gupta, Project Director, NHAI, Joint Director Planning, Executive Enginers of PDD, PHE and PWD, Chief Executive Officer PDA, Assistant Director CA&PD and Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

Issuing instruction to the officers, The Deputy Commissioner asked them to ensure that their subordinate staff should not leave their respective stations and restore essential services at different place which was disrupted due to heavy snow fall on war footing. Similarly he directed the Executive Engineer PWD and Project Director NH-IA to clear the different roads including National Highways up to Patnitop under the jurisdiction of Udhampur district by pressing sufficient machinery like snow cutters, JCBs, dossers etc.

To keep a strict vigil on the quality and rates of eatables especially on National Highway, Pole directed the officers of CA&PD to conduct random checks of different establishments and ensure that there should be no over charging from the general masses.

To supervise relief operation in the district, the Deputy Commissioner has setup a control room in the DC Office Complex under the over all supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner Udhampur with telephone nos.9419190656 (M), 271794 (O).

Similarly Pole also issued orders for the establishment of camp sites at Youth Hostel Patnitop and Higher Secondary School, Kud to facilitate the stranded passengers. Besides all tehsildars were directed to setup control rooms at their respective Headquarters to supervise the relief operation.

According to official sources several hundred vehicles were stranded along the national highway on the second day due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of snow on both sides of the tunnel.

The traffic police officials said, the traffic was halted on the national highway due to slippery road conditions. Conitnuous rainfall in Jammu region and fresh spell of snow in higher reaches of Doda and Patnitop triggered intense cold wave conditions in plane areas of Jammu.

Bhawan shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi also received seasons fresh snowfall in higher reaches of Trikuta hills and adjoining peaks.

Due to closure of the national highway several hundred passengers were forced to stay put in Jammu as they could not proceed to their destinations.

Several hundred vehciles were not allowed to move towards Kashmir from Jammu while hundreds were strand in Udhampur, Batote,Kud,Patnitop,Ramban and near Jawahar tunnel.

According to official sources more than one feet of snow has been accumulated on both sides of the tunnel.Air,rail and road traffic was also adversely affected by the bad weather conditions. The situation in Jammu took worse turn with water logging acorss several rotaries in Jammu.