For effective snow clearance at the Srinagar airport and the 137-km Banihal-Baramulla railway line, the authorities concerned have procured snow-sweepers and cutters. The Beacon, which is responsible for snow clearance at the airport, recently pressed into service two Norway-made snow-sweepers for the runway. The railways is operating a US-made snow cutter for its track.
A Beacon official said two snow-sweepers, inducted in its fleet in November 2018, are the first-of its kind machines “worth crores of rupees”. “These are twin-engine vehicles with a plough attached to the main vehicle while as brushes are attached to the rear vehicle. There is also a blower attached to the rear vehicle to remove icing on the runway,” said the official.
He said iced runway is the main hurdle in smooth flight operations. After the January 5 snowfall, the runway was cleared for take-off after around one feet of snow was removed from the runway, he added. “We cannot afford to have an iced runway. So these clearance vehicles keep moving around the take-off area as soon we find even a thin layer of snow. The plough is used only when there is large amount of snow accumulated but brushes and blower are frequently used this season,” the official said.
The official said the machines have “drastically” reduced the clearance time for snow on the runway.