Srinagar- With the Meteorological Centre forecasting heavy rain and snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir from October 4, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday directed all departments to remain on high alert and ensure full preparedness to tackle any eventuality.

Chairing a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the government's foremost priority was to safeguard people, prevent loss to crops, and maintain essential services and road connectivity during the anticipated weather disturbance.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmed Dar, Food & Civil Supplies and Transport Minister Satish Sharma, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, senior secretaries, divisional commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, and officers from PWD, Power, Jal Shakti, Health, Disaster Management, BEACON, NHAI, NHIDCL and the Meteorological Centre.

Abdullah directed Agriculture and Horticulture Departments to issue timely advisories to farmers and orchardists and ensure smooth transportation of fruit to markets during the ongoing harvest. Highway agencies and PWD were asked to keep machinery and manpower ready for snow and debris clearance, while Power and Jal Shakti departments were told to deploy quick-response teams to restore services swiftly.

The Chief Minister instructed the Disaster Management Department to activate control rooms for round-the-clock monitoring, and asked police and traffic authorities to regulate vehicular movement and issue advisories when required. The Health Department was directed to station ambulances at vulnerable points and prepare for emergency evacuations.

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