Power supply to rise to 2,100 MW this year, curtailment to continue in Kashmir: Govt
Srinagar, Feb 4: Power availability in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to improve this year, with the Kashmir region likely to receive up to 2,100 MW, even as electricity supply will continue to be regulated under the curtailment schedule, the government told the Legislative Assembly.
“During the previous winter, the supply of 1,976 MW was ensured in Kashmir Region and envisaged this year up to 2,100 MW,” the Power Development Department said in a written reply, adding that “during the last summers, JKPTCL has supplied a peak demand of 1,636 MW in Jammu Region.”
Responding to an unstarred question by MLA Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah on frequent power cuts, the government said that electricity supply is being managed as per an approved plan. “The power supply to all the areas of the Gulmarg Constituency and UT of J&K is being provided strictly as per the curtailment schedule and curtailment hours, which are based on loss profile of the area/feeder,” the reply stated.
However, the department acknowledged that disruptions do occur beyond scheduled curtailment. “Due to system constraints at both the transmission and distribution levels and grid enforced distress cuts, the power supply occasionally gets affected beyond the curtailment schedule,” it said.
The government said infrastructure limitations are being addressed through multiple schemes. “To address these challenges, DISCOMs are strengthening and upgrading its infrastructure and capacity through the UT CAPEX and CSS schemes,” the reply said, adding that “the rollout of RDSS is expected to improve energy accounting and is expected to significantly enhance the overall power supply situation, helping to reduce unscheduled outages.”
Sharing figures on system capacity, the department said, “The existing Transmission Capacity at 220/132/33 kV level is 5,725 MVA and at 132/33 kV level it is 7,094 MVA.”
With specific reference to Gulmarg Assembly constituency, the government said the area is being supplied through three grid substations. “The area is being fed from three Grid Substations, i.e. 132/33 kV GSS Magam, 132/33 kV GSS Pattan and 220/132/33 kV GSS Delina,” the reply noted.
It added that “Grid Substation Magam has been augmented from 100 MVA to 130 MVA and GSS Pattan has been augmented from 120 MVA to 180 MVA during the current financial year.”
On the issue of uninterrupted power supply, the department made it clear that certain conditions must be met. “Uninterrupted power supply to a feeder can be provided only when the feeder is saturated with LT cabling and smart metering,” it said, adding that the work “is being executed under RDSS and is expected to be completed very soon.”
The government maintained that once planned works are completed, “the existing capacity is enough to cater to the uninterrupted power supply to Gulmarg Constituency,” but until then, curtailment schedules will continue to remain in force across the Union Territory.
