Fighting the cyclone: over 220 units of special equipment and about 840 people are working in the Vitebsk region
Three columns of snow-clearing equipment worked on the streets of Vitebsk all night. This was reported to a "VV" correspondent by Pavel Shikshnyan, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee.
In the morning, about 30 more units of equipment from the city's enterprises and organizations began clearing snow. In addition, about 450 people are involved in the cleanup.
According to the meteorologists' forecast, heavy snowfall will continue for almost another day. Snow-clearing equipment columns will work non-stop all day and the following night.
"Everyone is maximally charged for work," emphasized Pavel Shikshnyan. "The main thing is to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement in the city."
In the morning, the number of utility specialists and equipment involved in combating the cyclone was increased. More than 220 units of special equipment and about 840 people are working in the Vitebsk region.
Due to heavy snowfall, utility and road services in the western region of the oblast are working in an enhanced mode.
In Braslav, 11 units of equipment from the Housing and Communal Services, city organizations, and agricultural enterprises of the district are involved in snow removal.
On the roads of the Braslav region, 14 units of equipment from DRSU-142 and 6 units of equipment from DEU-34 are operating.
All resources have been mobilized to combat the snow element in the Orsha district.
Special equipment is operating on highways, streets, squares, and courtyards. A whole "army" of special equipment and people has been deployed – 30 units and about 250 employees of housing and communal services and special motor transport depots, 19 units from agricultural enterprises (cleaning rural settlements), and 49 units from district road services. 15 units of equipment have been provided by district enterprises and organizations, and the same number will be deployed at night.
Communal service workers are manually clearing sidewalks, bus stops, and entrances to residential buildings. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, traffic police officers, and volunteers of the Belarusian Red Cross are also working in an enhanced mode. "Hotline" telephones are operational.
Due to heavy snowfall, the communal service of Novopolotsk is working in an enhanced mode.
Approximately 30 units of special equipment are involved in snow removal, including 7 sand spreaders equipped with plows, 9 tractors with plows (6 of which are equipped with brushes), 2 graders, 5 loaders, and 4 aerial platforms.
A stock of anti-icing materials has been formed – 500 tons of sand-salt mixture, 300 tons of salt, and 1000 tons of sand. More than 20 units of equipment from third-party enterprises have been additionally involved in snow removal.
An emergency service and a duty crew of the city's outdoor lighting service have been organized in the city.
In addition, during heavy snowfall, 10 additional shovel distribution points have been organized in Novopolotsk: Entrepreneurship Support Center – Ktatov Street, 21, tel. 55-83-01; Housing and Communal Services Department-2 – Molodezhnaya Street, 12, tel. 58-86-50; Hockey Club "Khimik" – Molodezhnaya Street, 94B, tel. 50-65-21, 50-65-27; Housing and Communal Services Department-3 – Y. Kupala Street, 4a, tel. 50-61-10; "Minsk" Cinema – Molodezhnaya Street, 152, tel. 58-00-05; Housing and Communal Services Department-1 – Y. Kolas Street, 12a, tel. 50-36-67; Branch of Gymnasium No. 1, Pervostroiteley Street, 1, tel. 52-39-38; Y. Kolas Street, 78 tel. 51-01-36; Housing and Communal Services Department-5 – Molodezhnaya Street, 173, 51-01-36; Housing and Communal Services Department-9 – Armeyskaya Street, 40, tel. 51-62-72. The operating hours of the points are from 8:00 to 17:00 on weekdays.