Srinagar, Dec 28 (KNO): The roads of Srinagar city, along with its lanes and bylanes, were on Saturday non-functional as snowfall disrupted normal life in the valley. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), which manages road clearance operations, said they have cleared the major roads of Srinagar city.
Officials from SMC said snow clearance machines, manpower and dewatering pumps are operational in Srinagar city, while locals from many places in Srinagar said their lanes and bylanes have still not been cleared.
Speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), officials from the SMC said they have been working since last night and are still on the ground clearing the city's roads. They said the major roads of the city are cleared, and their priority remains hospitals and other important roads.
“43 snow tractors, two Bob Cats (a small type of JCB used for snow clearance), 127 dewatering pumps, and six big JCBs are operational in the city for snow clearance operations,” an official said, adding that about 2,200 workers are engaged in cleaning the city’s lanes and bylanes.
However, many locals claimed that snow had not been cleared from their lanes and bylanes. “The snowfall has not been cleaned from our area, and the SMC officers have not arrived yet,” said Sahil, a local from Habba Kadal, Srinagar.
KNO received several calls from other areas like Gousiya Colony Bemina, Padshahi Bagh and Bilal Colony Bemina, where locals requested authorities to clear roads. They fear that if it snows again or temperatures drop, the snow will freeze, making it difficult for them to move outside.
Meanwhile, according to an official statement issued by SMC Srinagar, the Commissioner of the Corporation, Dr Owais Ahmed, accompanied by senior officials of the corporation, conducted thorough inspections across several areas on Saturday to assess the ongoing snow clearance and dewatering operations following the snowfall.
During his visits, the SMC Commissioner toured areas such as CBD Lal Chowk, SMHS Hospital, and government housing colonies in Balgarden, Karanagar, Sanat Nagar, Chanapora and the Leprosy Hospital in Bahrar Lal Bazar, along with dewatering stations, the statement said, adding that he engaged with on-site officers and supervisors to evaluate the progress of these operations and identify any challenges faced.
Dr Owais interacted with locals and gathered valuable insights into the effectiveness of the snow clearance and dewatering efforts. He gave on-the-spot directions for prompt snow removal and effective dewatering to safeguard public safety, facilitate transportation, and minimize disruptions to essential services, the SMC said, adding that the Commissioner appreciated the hard work of the corporation's frontline workers, who play a crucial role in these operations—(KNO)