KASHMIR’S POWERLESS SPRING | 10-14-hour power cuts spark anger among people

Srinagar, Apr 29:  The power crisis in Kashmir has reached alarming levels, with the valley facing the worst-ever electricity shortage this spring season.

The residents are being subjected to prolonged outages ranging from 10 to 14 hours per day as the allocated power supply has dipped to a mere 1000 megawatts (MW).

According to a senior official from the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Kashmir requires a minimum of 1800 MWs to meet the demand as per the curtailment schedule currently in place.

However, the corporation is receiving only an estimated allocation of 1000 MW, forcing it to resort to extensive load shedding.

“We have no choice but to impose power cuts lasting 10 to 14 hours daily across the valley,” the official said, highlighting the severity of the crisis.

Even the areas designated by the KPDCL to receive round-the-clock power supply have not been spared. Over 40 feeders in these areas have been subjected to outages ranging from 5 to 6 hours per day, leaving residents and businesses reeling.

The crisis has put the KPDCL in an “embarrassing situation”, according to a senior KPDCL engineer, who expressed frustration over the authorities’ failure to procure additional power despite the corporation's efforts to increase revenue and implement smart metering.

“On one hand, we have upped the revenue, and smart metering is going on, but the authorities at the helm are not buying additional power to meet the demand,” the official said. “As a result, we have to face the ire of the people, who are rightfully aggrieved because, in areas where there is 100 percent cabling and no losses, they are paying their bills, but we are still imposing load shedding on them.”

The unprecedented power crisis is affecting daily life and economic activities across the Valley, with businesses and essential services bearing the brunt of the outages.

The residents have expressed frustration over the prolonged power cuts, which have become a regular occurrence during the spring season, typically a period of relative respite from energy woes.

The worsening power crisis in Kashmir has drawn sharp criticism from Kashmir's business community.

Prominent trade bodies like the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Kashmir Trades Alliance (KTA) have voiced grave concerns, saying that the prolonged outages are severely hampering economic activities across the valley.

These organisations have highlighted how businesses, both large and small, are bearing the brunt of the erratic power supply, leading to disruptions in operations, loss of productivity, and financial setbacks.

The KCCI and KTA have urged the authorities to take immediate measures to address the crisis, emphasising that a reliable and consistent power supply is crucial for sustaining and fostering economic growth in Kashmir.

They have also called for long-term strategies to be implemented, including augmenting power generation capacity, diversifying energy sources, and improving the overall infrastructure to prevent such crises from recurring in the future.

Last week, the KPDCL acknowledged the situation, attributing it to limited power availability.

“Due to limited power availability, there has been an unavoidable increase in power curtailment. These restrictions will be eased once power availability improves. Please bear with us and ensure judicious use of power, especially during peak hours. Avoid exceeding sanctioned loads or hooking,” KPDCL wrote on microblogging site X.