Omar reviews relief work after heavy Valley snowfall

Reviewing work to restore essential services after heavy snowfall in the Kashmir Valley, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday asked officials to brave the weather and face the challenges of nature with a missionary zeal for the people's sake.

He was addressing took a meeting of divisional administration immediately after his arrival here Thursday afternoon from Jammu.

An official statement issued here said the chief minister arrived here to personally monitor and ascertain the progress on restoration of essential services like road communication, power and water supply, availability of edibles and fuel, healthcare facilities and other services of emergency nature.

"You should monitor the restoration process thoroughly and have personal appraisal of the ground situation by visiting various areas, interacting with people and ascertaining their needs," Abdullah told the officials.

The chief minister also directed timely installation and operationalisation of dewatering pumps in low lying areas so that people do not face problems due to the melting of snow.

Officials attending the meeting told the chief minister that men and machinery are working unabated to mitigate the difficulties of people and restore various essential services. He was assured that all measures are afoot to address the challenges and restore the services in full in all fields of life which have severely been hit by the heavy snowfall in the Valley.