Srinagar, Nov 11: With the bone chilling winter approaching and the movement of people from valley towards Jammu division showing an increase, the traffic police is gradually gearing up for the duties amid ongoing deadly pandemic stating that weather is the biggest challenge for manning traffic on crucial Srinagar-Jammu highway.

A large of people from Kashmir travel through highway to reach to stay away from the harsh winter conditions in Kashmir where temperature has already gone below normal.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Traffic J&K, T Nmagyal said that the people are now well aware about the pandemic and every individual knows how to secure themselves while none of the traffic police official after testing positive has died of Covid.

“It’s the duty of magistrates to ensure people follow proper standard operating procedures (SOPs) who have been deployed for the testing and other purposes as well. Traffic police is deployed for the regulation only while the adherence of Covid protocol is the duty of civil administration,” he said.

He said that the pandemic is on for the past couple of months now and almost every individual knows about the safety measures and protocols like the wearing of masks which is mandatory.

To a question about the sufficient number of safety equipment given to the officials, the IGP Traffic said that all that required is being given to the traffic officials on ground level.

Talking about the challenges amid the pandemic and flow of people from Kashmir to Jammu during winter, the IGP said that people are aware about the pandemic now and what actually matters is the weather condition since it snows and remains below freezing point at lower Munda which is challenging. “I think, weather is a biggest challenge for us as far as managing traffic on the highway is concerned,” he said.

Asked about the arrangements for the stranded people this winter, he said that the communication is available and people remain well aware about the highway and if people make movement only after the road is through it won’t take them more than an hour.

“If the movement is well planned only if the road is through then none will be caught in the stranded crisis on the highway that worries them”, he said.

The IGP said that the department randomly conducts the medical examination of all the officials who remain deployed and in case of anything contact tracing is done well on time also those who show symptoms are made to undergo testing.

Talking about the separate SOPs with the department for the winter, he said that every individual knows the responsibilities to ensure the safety and initially there was very minimum awareness among the people but in a couple of months people have learnt about it and (People) at individual level maintain the safety—(KNO)