Kashmir plunges into darkness

Srinagar, Dec 20: Smart meters, AB cabling, and political assurances have all fallen flat as plummeting temperatures bring Kashmir back to square one, with prolonged and unscheduled power cuts haunting residents across Kashmir.

According to high-placed sources, power outages this winter have already surpassed last year’s crisis.

“At 6 pm on Thursday, 16 of Kashmir’s 36 power grids were non-operational due to reduced power allocation, with supply dipping to 1230 MW. The Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) was forced to curtail 550 MW of load from these 16 grids, meaning areas dependent on these grids face blackouts of one to two hours - this in addition to the scheduled power cuts already in place,” they said.

A senior KPDCL official explained the volatile nature of the situation saying: “Power allocation doesn't remain static - it oscillates between 1000 to 1500 MW. At 6 pm, we were asked to curtail the 550 MW load, which meant 16 grids and areas subsequently getting electricity from them will remain in darkness.”

He said that this year’s challenges exceed those of the previous winter, saying, “We need a consistent power supply of at least 1700 MW to meet the curtailment schedule requirement.”

While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has directed KPDCL to prevent distressed cuts, the ground situation worsens.

KPDCL officials are demanding additional allocation to meet the surging winter demand.

The impact of these unscheduled and prolonged power cuts has been catastrophic for the general population and businesses.

Particularly affected are patients requiring oxygen support at home, who find themselves gasping for breath during power outages.

Many oxygen concentrators are incompatible with inverter systems, creating life-threatening situations during blackouts.

“We are having candlelight dinners every day. It’s sarcastic but an unfortunate truth of Kashmir. Even after smart metering, and solar push, everything falls flat in winter when the KPDCL fails to supply even curtailed power as per schedule,” said Manzoor of Rawalpora.

The situation is dire in downtown Srinagar and rural areas, where residents have stopped counting power curtailment hours and instead sarcastically count the few hours of electricity they receive - typically in single digits out of 24 hours.

“Irony is that people are paying and willing to pay for electricity, but distressed cuts are everywhere,” said Saqib Ahmad of Nowhatta.

The plight of medical patients has become particularly concerning.

A resident, whose father requires oxygen support, sharing their daily struggle said: “Every time power goes, we become panicky. Though the CM Omar Abdullah-led government is issuing statements on social media about the power situation improving, on ground, it has worsened.”