Power crisis worsens as Kashmir stares at prolonged outages

Srinagar, Feb 28: The ongoing electricity crisis in Kashmir has intensified further as the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has announced an extension in daily power curtailment timings across the Valley.

This decision comes after a substantial shortfall between the current power supply and rising demand.

According to senior KPDCL officials, the gap between electricity demand, which is around 2000 MW, and availability, fluctuating around 1100 MW, has expanded significantly.

This has compelled them to revise the load-shedding schedule as a stop-gap measure till the supply stabilises.

“The widening demand-availability disparity of over 800 MW has tied our hands. We have to increase curtailment hours to ensure equitable power supply instead of distress cuts,” said an official. “The decision to revise power curtailment hours was taken after holding consultations with heads of 19 electric divisions and six STDs in Kashmir where the threadbare discussion was held on the power draw from grid and demand of each division.”

The official said: “Of the 1100 MW allotted, over half is diverted to essential feeders for hospitals, industrial areas, and key installations. Only 550 MW remains for domestic usage against a much higher requirement.”

Currently, non-metered areas in Kashmir have scheduled 8-hour-long outages in urban and 10-hour-long in rural areas.

Metered areas face 4.5 hours of cuts.

The revised schedule would now extend these curtailment hours further.

“We don’t want public agony due to unannounced electricity disruptions. The revised load shedding schedule will remain effective until generation improves and we bridge the demand-supply gap,” a KPDCL official said.

The corporation also issued an advisory on its social media requesting consumers to use electricity judiciously during peak hours and avoid overloading sanctioned electricity loads.

“Dear Consumers: To ensure minimum distress cuts, #KPDCL is revising its Load Curtailment Program, till the power availability position improves. Pl bear wd us & ensure judicious use of power, especially during peak hours. Avoid exceeding sanctioned load/hooking,” KPDCL posted on its social media platforms.

Kashmir is in severe electricity shortage, with a yawning gap between demand and supply.

For most of the day, power allocation to Kashmir has fallen below 1200 MW while peak demand shoots over 2000 MW - implying a deficit of 800 MW.

The under-purchase of power has forced KPDCL to implement prolonged power cuts across Kashmir.

“To prevent grid instability and blackouts, some increase in curtailment is unavoidable until supply rebounds,” the corporation said via social media.

Officials in the know of things said that power purchases have dipped again due to the high costs charged by power generation companies (Gencos).

A KPDCL executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “Though KPDCL staff during inspections and drives against power thefts has been able to reduce losses, but when allocation from the transmission side is less, what can be done? To reduce the burden on the grid, we have no other option than to resort to load shedding.”