Himachal braces for early winter snowfall and weather vagaries
In the wake of the inkling of the early winter season, the state administration braced up to make early preparations and stock up on fuel, ration, and other essentials in the tribal areas and make preparations to clear snowfall. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena presided over a meeting held here today in which Deputy Commissioners and HODs of all departments were present to attend the state-level preparedness meeting for the winter season.
The Chief Secretary asked the authorities to ensure advance pre-positioning of man, machinery, and material in the areas prone to avalanches and heavy snowfall. He also asked the DCs to issue immediate orders restricting the movement of trekkers or travelers toward high passes or other vulnerable areas considering the risks of heavy snowfall.
During the meeting, the Indian Meteorological Department made a presentation on the forecast of the winter season, previous trends, and current arrangements for the dissemination of weather advisories. With a forecast of a normal winter season, the Chief Secretary has directed the authorities to ensure that all the departments are ready for the challenges of the winter season.
He also directed the concerned departments to effectively maintain roads and clear snow from roadside drains and culverts, create a network of fire hydrants across the state to ensure readiness in case of any untoward incident, and maintain an inventory of water pipes and electric poles. The Chief Secretary also asked the concerned departments to be prepared to hire machinery, including JCBs, trucks, and 4X4 vehicles, if the need arises.
He 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.
The issue of pre-positioning of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Shimla and other districts was also discussed in the meeting. The NDRF has also proposed providing a base for its rescue teams at the higher ranges of over 9,000 feet. Such deployment will allow the rescuers to acclimatize to the conditions at the higher altitudes which will be beneficial in case emergency rescue operations arise.
Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department, Jal Shakti Vibhag, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited, NDRF, and State Disaster Response Force also made a presentation regarding preparedness measures at the meeting.
Due to the already increasing coldwave and the possibility of early snowfall in the months of December, January, and February, the administration may face a challenging situation as the mercury has already gone below freezing point in the state. All the border police forces in the tribal areas are being withdrawn in a phased manner however state administration has extra leverage to reach out to the tribal people after having access through the Rohtang Tunnel in such areas around the year and 24×7.
According to the extended range weather forecast made for next week the mercury is likely to be below normal in Lahaul Spiti, Kullu, and Kinnuar However no change in the ongoing coldwave conditions is likely to be there and mercury is likely to be state normal range. The Met Office making an outlook for the next two weeks in the month of December said that people may have respite from the cold weather as the Maximum temperature is expected to be normal to above normal. In the 2nd week of December, the Mercury would be normal.
