Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu issues statement on SMC’s snow clearance ops

Srinagar: Following is the statement issued by Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu on Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s (SMC’s) snow clearance operations. Ziraat Times is publishing the statement verbatim here:

“Within Srinagar, main roads and link roads – including highways – are to be cleared of snow by MED and R&B Departments. SMC is tasked with clearance of nearly 7,500 lanes and by-lanes.

Unofficially the number of lanes is in excess of 15,000!

Effective snow-clearance in lanes and by-lanes will remain improbable till SMC is equipped with adequate, modern snow-clearing machines.

The tradition is to make-do with JCBs and loaders and spades and shovels – which aren’t meant for snow-clearance and are equipped for routine garbage collection operations.

SMC has less than 15 JCBs/loaders. Srinagar has at least 10,000 lanes that need snow clearance! The mathematics itself is improbable. For effective snow clearance one JCB/loader will have to clear around 700 lanes and by-lanes a day to complete the task within 24 hours. In a functional work day of 12 hours – that is one lane a minute. Factually it takes one machine 20 minutes to clear one lane.

The mismatch between our requirement and available machines/manpower is astronomical.

Around a year or more ago – the SMC F&P Committee had approved my proposal for the procurement of 25 4×4 snow-clearance machines with imported snow-blades and Road salting dispensers.

Funds have been available since – so funds hasn’t been a problem.

For some strange reason, the procurements weren’t made. On assuming office for my second term, I immediately sought a review of these crucial procurements but due to a shift from Bharat-5 to Bharat-6 emission grading, we couldn’t procure the machines this last month.

I will ensure these crucial vehicles are procured – speedily, transparently.

Images of snow being cleared with spades, shovels and JCBs should be an embarrassment in the present day and age — not something to be celebrated. To me – it surely is an embarrassment. Our field workers deserve dignity and respect and as such deserve modern equipment for mechanized snow clearance.

We need to cut the red-tape to ensure speedy vital procurements and development.

Our grievance redressal mechanisms/equipments are either absent or outdated and we will endeavor to push for systemic reforms in SMC.

SMC is unable to do a perfect job of clearing 7,500+ lanes with spades and two dozen garbage lifting loaders/JCBs – that needs to be accepted and admitted and only when we admit the systemic deficiencies can we improve.

We inherited an SMC with nothing beyond brooms & handcarts – thanks to the neglect heaped upon SMC by successive governments in the past – including those who controlled SMC.

We scaled up, upgraded our machines during COVID and I assure you we will continue to do so now. We will continue to go above and beyond.

I will ensure all codal formalities for the procurement of the required equipment and machines are initiated transparently and without delay – failing which I will publicly and honestly name those officials who are responsible for delays.

With lack of machines and inadequate manpower – I express my gratitude to all SMC field staff for putting in their 100% since the past two days and night. I have been out on the field with our field staff and have witnessed their hard-work and dedication. They deserve to be fully equipped and that is something I will pursue with my heart and soul.

To fellow Srinagarites – as your Mayor, I assure you a modern, better equipped and more effective urban local government in the form of SMC. We have initiated this goal and we will see it through”.