Power crisis in J&K

Much ahead of the onset of winter, Jammu and Kashmir is presently facing power crisis. Because of the power shortage the Power Development Department (PDD) has resorted to frequent unscheduled cuts in the supply.

Due to the frequent power cuts the people are put to lot of inconvenience and their related work is getting affected.

The concerned officials attribute the shortage to low discharge of water in rivers resulting in low power generation from the hydroelectric power projects.

The authorities say that the power situation will improve within a couple of days as more power is being purchased from outside J&K. It is being hoped that the power scenario improves and the problems of the consumers come to and end.

Going by the dry weather conditions prevailing for last several months in Kashmir, the authorities should have taken steps in advance to avert these power crisis at this time. Now that they are doing so, it is a step in right direction.

The PDD must take steps in advance to meet the challenges on power front for rest of the months of autumn and coming winter. The people must not suffer due to the power shortage more particularly during the harsh winters.

The crisis is not a positive sign when people were expecting further improvement in power scenario following the assurance from the concerned authorities. The authorities were not only assuring improvement in power supply but also round the clock supply after a few years.

There is an immediate need to take all steps to improve the power scenario. Whenever there is shortage of power, the problem must be addressed by purchasing the power from outside and importing it here. Jammu and Kashmir which is rich in power generation potential should not have been facing such problems.

By now J&K should have been self reliant in power and in fact exporting the power and selling it to outside states, and generating revenue.

Unfortunately not much attention was paid in the past for utilising the power generation potential. Adequate number of power projects were not set up in the state sector.

The successive governments in the past are responsible for it. The authorities say some significant measures have been taken during the last few years to become self sufficient in power sector.

People are eagerly waiting for such a time. Till that time the authorities must ensure that there are no power crisis and whenever there is a need to purchase power from outside it should be done at the earliest.