Dry spell cripples hydropower generation

Srinagar, Dec 11: A persistent dry spell across Jammu and Kashmir has drastically hit water discharge in rivers and canals feeding major hydropower stations, causing power generation in J&K-owned projects to plummet to barely 10 percent of their installed capacity.

The situation has pushed J&K into unprecedented dependency on outside power purchases to meet its winter demand.

As per official data accessed by Greater Kashmir, the total generation from J&K’s own powerhouses has dipped to around 105 MW against an installed capacity of 1140 MW.

Of this, Baglihar alone accounts for 900 MW, while the Lower Jhelum and Upper Sindh projects contribute 110 MW each.

The remaining power supply comes from centrally owned projects, including Salal, Dul Hasti, Uri, and Kishanganga.

Combined, state and central hydropower resources total nearly 3500 MW, but with water levels at seasonal lows, output remains far below requirement.

The drop in local generation has coincided with rising consumption during the peak winter load, particularly in Kashmir, where heating needs surge sharply.

Officials said power demand in Kashmir has already crossed 2000 MW, widening the supply gap at a time when rivers are running unusually low for this part of the season.

“We are going through one of the toughest phases in terms of local power availability,” said a senior Power Development Department (PDD) official.

“Generation has fallen to around 10 percent due to poor discharge, and to manage the situation, we are importing over 2900 MW from outside generating companies. Without imports, meeting the peak load would have been impossible,” he said. “Any improvement now hinges largely on snowfall and rainfall in the catchment zones.”

But beyond the supply deficit, J&K’s power sector is also weighed down by a mounting financial burden.

According to official records, J&K’s total power purchase liability has reached Rs 4751 crore as of September 30, reflecting the growing mismatch between power procurement costs and revenue collections.

Experts cite low billing efficiency, transmission losses, and power pilferage as long-standing issues aggravating the financial gap.