Himachal likely to witness normal winter

Shimla, Dec 3 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh may witness a normal winter this time.

On Tuesday, at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena to review preparedness for the winter with the heads of various departments and all Deputy Commissioners.

Saxena directed officers to identify vulnerable areas and deploy adequate human resources, machinery and essential supplies in advance by prioritising areas for snow clearance.

As per the Indian Meteorological Department’s presentation on the forecast of the winter season, the state is likely to see a normal winter season.

At the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed the authorities to ensure that all departments were ready for the challenges of winter.

He said deployment of machinery like bulldozers and snow-cutters should be done in advance and necessary repairs should be carried out beforehand too. He said that road connectivity, hospitals, power, water supply and educational institutions should be the priority of district administrations.

The Chief Secretary asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure adequate food and fuel supplies in the areas that remain cut off due to heavy snow and road blockages. He also asked the authorities to make certain that communication channels remain functional in such areas.

Saxena directed to establishment of control rooms at all levels to ensure coordination and swift response throughout the winter season.

The issue of pre-positioning of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force in Shimla and other districts prone to disasters was also discussed at the meeting.

Officers from various departments briefed the Chief Secretary on the preparations being made to ensure the availability of essential services, including the operation of hospitals, fire services and emergency response during any eventuality.

Additionally, necessary winter stockpiles, such as food grains, fuel and generator supplies, have been adequately arranged.

Director-cum-Special Secretary (Revenue and Disaster Management) D.C. Rana, Additional Director General of Police Abhishek Trivedi, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, among others, attended the meeting.

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