Beyond Curtailment

Come winter, and electricity supply is an issue in Kashmir. Reason: we need more electricity in winter months that the government can mange to supply. Result: power shortage. Consequence: public anguish.

It is a vicious circle that is now as old as our memory of mass scale distribution of electricity by the government. In the olden days it would mean reliance on traditional means of lighting and heating. We would have kerosine lamps and candles to manage some light in our homes. To warm ourselves, Kangri was the popular weapon. To have some hot water in our bathrooms, we would heat up fixed copper containers using wood. That is how a common household in Kashmiri would survive the winters.

Not the same Kashmir anymore. The life and the ways of living have changed beyond recognition. With the introduction of inverters, the problem of lighting in our houses is almost solved. We no longer rely on candles and kerosine lamps. But for heating, our reliance on electricity is total. No longer can we use a Kangri and stay contented. Moreover the dependence on gadgets – mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, tabs and CCTV cameras - has made the need for electricity more compelling.

Add to it the introduction of convenient, smart and swift ways of heating up home interiors. From electric blankets to electric hamams, we need electricity in bundles. Electricity, given the current ways of living in Kashmir, is like oxygen. You cannot live without it for a minute.

But here is the schedule; power cut for an hour, two or three. What is more, the concerned agency wants to charge extra on electricity consumed during peak hours. Looking through a cold rationalist prism, the decision of charging more on electricity consumed during peak hours may sound smart. But the government is not doing business while supplying electricity to people. The needs of the people, the paying capacity of the people, the culture of consumption – all this needs a careful inclusion while framing policies and taking decisions.