Khiram, Sirhama grapple with power outage

Anantnag, Oct 18: Residents of several villages in Srigufwara Tehsil, including Khiram and Sirhama—the two largest settlements in the area—have been left in darkness for more than a week due to a prolonged electricity outage.

Officials at the local grid station said the disruption occurred after a transformer developed a fault and was removed for repairs six days ago. “Until the repaired transformer is reinstalled, the power supply will remain affected. It may take some more time,” said an officer at the Khiram grid station.

The prolonged outage has sparked anger among locals, who blame official apathy for the delay. “It is shameful that in the 21st century, entire villages remain in darkness for weeks. The authorities should have ensured a replacement before removing the transformer for repairs,” said Nissar Ahmad of Sirhama.

Students, particularly those preparing for exams, are struggling to study without electricity. “We hope the transformer is restored soon so our exam preparations are not affected,” said Bashir Ahmad, a 10th-class student.

The residents urged the authorities to act swiftly and restore power to prevent further disruption to daily life and education.