Kashmir's Power Woes | KPDCL to implement curtailment plan amid rising demand

Srinagar: As a response to a widening gap between power supply and demand, the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has introduced a curtailment schedule that would see power cuts ranging from 4 to 8 hours a day.

The decision has been made due to increasing electricity consumption, especially during the cold weather, as heating devices and other electrical items drive up the demand.

The KPDCL has not yet made the curtailment schedule public, but officials have informed Greater Kashmir about the details.

In metered areas, residents can expect power cuts of 4 to 4.5 hours a day, while non-metered areas would face even longer cuts, up to 8 hours a day.

According to reliable sources, the new power curtailment schedule is set to take effect from the next week.

Kashmir continues to grapple with a persistent and escalating power crisis, a situation that has extended well beyond the usual winter months.

The shortage of electricity, a common issue during the severe winter season, has taken an unexpected turn this year.

Even as autumn sets in, residents are experiencing severe power cuts and irregular electric supply.

The officials cite power deficiency in the region with the peak demand surging due to the cold weather, leading people to rely on heating gadgets and other power-intensive appliances.

This increase in electricity consumption is straining the power supply, forcing authorities to resort to power cuts.

As per official statistics, the current power supply hovers around 1100 MW, while the peak demand has risen well above 1800 MW.

The significant gap between supply and demand is pushing the KPDCL to implement these power curtailments to ensure that the available electricity resources are distributed as efficiently as possible.

Chief Engineer of KPDCL Distribution, Javid Yusuf Dar told Greater Kashmir that the detailed power curtailment schedule would be officially announced next week.

He said that, as per the directions of Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, non-metered areas were expected to experience a maximum of 8 hours of power cuts each day.

The KPDCL officials have attributed this ongoing power crisis to a significant gap between the revenue generated by the Power Development Department (PDD) and the funds required for power purchases.

This funding disparity has left the region even more vulnerable to energy shortages.

The chief secretary recently said that the J&K government had borrowed a substantial sum of Rs 31,000 crore to settle outstanding power bills with external power generators.

The move highlights the critical nature of the situation and the urgency with which the government is addressing the mounting power crisis.

The chief secretary emphasised that achieving 24×7 electricity could only be possible if all consumers paid their electricity bills without subsidies.

In a recent statement, he said, “We are not so poor that electricity bills cannot be afforded. The government will ensure round-the-clock electricity only when the bills are paid by one and all.”