How is CM Abdullah Preparing Jammu for Summer Challenges?

Jammu, April 29 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday emphasized the necessity of strong inter-departmental collaboration to guarantee the provision of essential services and an effective response system as the summer season approaches in the Jammu division.

During a high-level review meeting, the Chief Minister evaluated the preparedness of different departments to tackle the challenges that are likely to arise in the summer months.

In attendance were the Chief Minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary for Education Shantmanu, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for Jal Shakti Shaleen Kabra, ACS to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Administrative Secretaries from various departments, the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, the Managing Director of JPDCL, the Commissioner of JMC, Deputy Commissioners from all Jammu division districts, and representatives from BRO and other relevant departments, who participated both in person and online.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conducted a comprehensive review focused on summer preparedness by department, including Jal Shakti (PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control), Health & Medical Education, Power Development Department (PDD), Public Works (R&B), Fire & Emergency Services, Forest, JPDCL, JMC, among others.

Omar Abdullah highlighted the importance of minimizing public inconvenience during heatwave conditions, stating, “Collaboration among all departments is crucial to ensure uninterrupted essential services to citizens during the summer months.”

He further emphasized the need for a rapid response system in light of increasing temperatures and the likelihood of heatwaves, water shortages, or power outages.

“The response time to any emergency must be reduced,” he asserted.

Engaging directly with the Deputy Commissioners, CM Omar Abdullah reviewed district-level preparedness and urged them to prioritize timely and effective responses to weather-related challenges.

He stressed the necessity of having personnel on standby and machinery in good working order to maintain the continuous operation of essential services.

“Preparedness involves not only having systems in place but also ensuring those systems function seamlessly when tested,” noted CM Omar Abdullah, adding that preparedness should be proactive rather than reactive.

While praising field-level officers for their proactive planning, he urged them to maintain a constant state of readiness and ensure grievance redressal mechanisms are available and efficient for public assistance during emergencies.

The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu presented a detailed overview of preparations for the upcoming summer season, focusing on the availability of drinking water, management of electricity supply, and strategies for medical emergency responses.

It was reported that for forest fire management, high-risk districts such as Nowshera, Jammu, and Reasi have been prioritized, with 175 control rooms and awareness campaigns in place.

Water supply preparedness will include vulnerability assessments, infrastructure maintenance, and deployment of tankers, along with IEC campaigns to address heatwave impacts.

The meeting was informed that power infrastructure is being strengthened through transformer upgrades, tree branch pruning, and activation of emergency response teams.

The Health Department has also stocked essential supplies, operationalized Heat Stroke Rooms, and mandated daily reporting of heat-related illnesses.

The Divisional Commissioner also mentioned that schools will implement revised timings starting May 1, and the school bag policy is now in effect. Irrigation canals have been desilted, and flood control rooms have been activated, with mitigation plans established for vulnerable districts, he said.

The JMC has prepared monsoon rescue units, upgraded drainage systems, and deployed water sprinklers and coolers for heatwave relief.

Additionally, BRO and PMGSY have mapped landslide and flood-prone areas, ensuring that machinery is available for rapid response.

CM Omar Abdullah directed departments to activate control rooms, maintain buffer supplies of essentials, and deploy quick response teams in vulnerable regions.

He also instructed that a sufficient number of water tankers be deployed in areas at risk of shortages. Furthermore, he directed the ACS for Jal Shakti to install GPS trackers on all water tankers to ensure accountability and oversight in field operations.

The Chief Minister also called for timely maintenance of key roads, particularly the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, Mughal Road, and other essential routes.