The turn in weather has caught us all off guard. The heavy snowfall in different regions of the valley has disrupted the normal life in the valley. Traffic got affected, there were power outages due to transmission line failures, and at some places emergency services got impacted. Government and the concerned authorities have been trying their best to restore services and bring some respite to the people. We all know that one cannot predict natural calamities exactly despite the fact that weather forecasting technology has improved a lot over the years. It is a known fact that streets in Srinagar are prone to water logging and the condition of roads in most of the towns and the city is going to get worse in coming days when the snow starts melting. It will be a daunting task for the administration to keep the roads in Srinagar as well as in other districts from being inundated. The administration has to bear in mind that the roads have already developed cracks and potholes due to snow and freezing temperatures that were recorded all through the harshest period of winter. Certainly, the administration has to carry out the repair work before summer sets in. Nevertheless it would be a great service to the city and its people if the roads are re-developed on modern lines. We may pray for things to change for better in terms of weather but at the same time we should be prepared to meet the challenge in case weather deteriorates again. The question that has surged up is that what is the level of readiness of our administration? In the sunny days of year we often hear of various government departments conducting seminars and workshops on disaster management. Loads of lectures and tones of ideas are stuffed into our minds. We are enlightened about the latest techniques being adopted in developed countries; we are being apprised of the levels of danger that we are always living against; we are being guided to change our way to build homes and do other things that can help in the times of disasters, but has administration adequately prepared itself during this time. The government as well as the people are supposed to expect such calamities in winter. Also what is unfortunate is that a lot of people, even some sections of media, go overboard and blame it all on the administration. As a matter of fact the government becomes a punching bag, and all, even small tasks that would require few responsible citizens to come forward and get it done, is placed on the shoulders of the government. Where is the collective responsibility if everything is shifted to government machinery?
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