DESCENT INTO DARKNESS | Kashmir’s power crisis deepens amidst worsening shortages

Srinagar: The power crisis in Kashmir has reached a critical juncture as the government’s efforts to bolster electricity supply have fallen short, resulting in a widening gap between the demand and supply of electricity.

The consequence: residents of Kashmir are increasingly finding themselves plunged into darkness as unscheduled power cuts continue to haunt Kashmir.

The power crisis in Kashmir has reached an alarming level, causing widespread disruptions that affect households, commercial establishments, and essential services.

According to locals, power cuts have been ranging from 5 to 9 hours a day, making it exceedingly challenging for residents to carry out their day-to-day activities and for businesses to operate smoothly.

According to officials from the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL), despite various measures to mitigate the crisis, there remains a significant power deficit of approximately 500 MW in the region.

This shortfall is primarily attributed to the skyrocketing peak load demand, which can surge up to 1700 MW during times of plummeting temperatures.

“Unfortunately, the available power supply falls significantly short of this demand, hovering around 1100 MW, leaving a substantial gap that exacerbates the crisis,” officials said.

Sources closely connected to the situation have revealed that Kashmir’s power deficit alone is staggering, and the residents are experiencing the consequences of this shortfall firsthand.

In a glimmer of hope, it is anticipated that the region will soon receive a much-needed boost in power supply, aimed at bridging the alarming gap between power demand and supply.

Talking exclusively to Greater Kashmir, Principal Secretary of Power Development Department (PDD) H Rajesh Prasad addressed the pressing power crisis, where he sought to reassure the citizens of J&K that the situation would improve within two days.

Prasad emphasised that the government was acutely aware of the situation and has taken proactive measures to tackle it.

“The root cause of this crisis stems from the reduced discharge of rivers, which has subsequently impacted the power generation capacity of our hydropower projects. We acknowledge the difficulties our people are facing and have initiated concrete steps to alleviate the situation,” he said. “We urgently brought this issue to the attention of the Central government, requesting additional power supply.”

Prasad said that the Central government responded affirmatively to their plea.

“The allocation has been approved, and it is expected that the provision of additional power supply will commence within the next two days. While the Central government has agreed in principle, we are in the process of finalizing the necessary modalities to ensure the seamless import of power supplies to J&K,” he said. “We have also agreed with the government of Uttar Pradesh to purchase additional power.”

The Principal Secretary expressed his belief that the power situation in J&K would return to normal within the next two days, providing much-needed relief to residents who have been grappling with frequent power outages and voltage fluctuations.