SRINAGAR: Few inches of snowfall plunged the Valley in darkness raising a question mark over governments tall claims of being ready for any eventuality.
Reports from different areas speak of immense hardships faced by the people for the second consecutive day Wednesday as electricity, water and other essential supplies were missing in many areas.
Though authorities claimed they have pressed into service snow clearing machines, the interior roads, lanes and by-lanes in Srinagar and elsewhere remained covered with snow disrupting public movement.
If the accumulated snow is not cleared immediately it will freeze leading to slippery conditions which will make public movement dangerous.
Countless accidents were witnessed on slippery roads Tuesday as none of the vehicles moving on city roads was seen with mandatory snow chains. True to its image traffic police remained absent from duty on the day they were required most. Even traffic booths in civil lines remained empty during the day.
Reports said that few areas of old city and uptown received a few shots of electricity barely for a few minutes during last 36 hours, while the PDD department made repeated claims about electricity being restored in the Valley.
Authorities always assure us of doing everything during the crises but when it comes to reality they fail to do so, Bashir Ahmad of Bemina said adding the authorities should own the moral responsibility for the failure and tender apology to the people forthwith.
The situation is worst in district headquarters, villages and far flung areas which face power cuts and road blockades.
Within less than an hour, like in the past, electricity was snapped in our areas, chilling weather condition has added to our woe. Electricity disappeared from our colony with first snowflakes touching the earth. It is now more than 18 hours and there is no hope to get the power supply, said Showkat Ahmad from Baramulla.
The crisis-like situation that has emerged for the government due to a few inches of snowfall raises question about its disaster management efficiency given the weather department had forecasted this snowfall in Kashmir last week, said Mohamad Aslam of Rajbagh.
Meanwhile reports said that in many areas the problems was compounded by this afternoon as snow started to melt in low lying areas resulting in water logging.
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