Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta chaired a winter preparedness meeting in Dharamshala and directed all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments and Deputy Commissioners—who participated virtually—to ensure full readiness for upcoming snow and rainfall. He instructed departments to station snow-clearing machinery at strategic locations to prevent public inconvenience during heavy snowfall.
He asked district administrations to appoint department-wise nodal officers for effective coordination and management of winter-related activities.
Underscoring the importance of timely action, the Chief Secretary stressed proactive implementation of HPSDMA guidelines to safeguard life and property. He emphasized clear and prompt dissemination of weather advisories, early warnings and forecasts.
Gupta directed officials to identify fire-prone high-risk zones, noting that winter sees a spike in domestic fire incidents. He called for a comprehensive response plan, sensitization drives in vulnerable areas and priority fire audits in hospitals, offices and schools.
To ensure emergency readiness, he instructed departments to stockpile essential relief items, including fuel, ration, food grains and LPG, particularly in snow-prone regions. Pre-contracting of supplies should be done in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
He further directed PWD, JSV and HPSEBL to pre-position manpower and machinery and ensure preventive maintenance of power lines to avoid disruptions. Uninterrupted electricity and drinking water supply must be maintained, with special backup arrangements for hospitals, communication networks and pumping stations. Joint response teams should be formed to handle snowfall-related emergencies.
The Chief Secretary also called for a dedicated winter traffic management plan, especially for major tourist destinations with heavy winter footfall. He directed daily testing of ISAT phones and noted that all police stations are now equipped with V-SAT facilities for emergency video conferencing.
He instructed district administrations to keep search and rescue teams on high alert to deal with any emergency during the winter months.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
