Unscheduled power cuts take toll on people in Hazratbal areas amid heatwave

Srinagar, July 27: Daylong power cuts amid scorching heat have left residents in Hazratbal areas gasping for breath amid heatwave.

The residents of Hazratbal and its adjoining areas said that the KPDCL frequently enforces power cuts, which is creating inconvenience for them.

The aggrieved locals said as Srinagar is witnessing record-breaking temperatures and these power cuts are making it situation worse for them. The locals said that they are unable to use gadgets, including fans and refrigerators, for their comfort amid heat wave. The locals said that the power supply in Hazratbal areas like Zukura, Batapora, Burzahama, and over a dozen localities was snapped throughout Saturday, which left them without power supply. The said other areas, including Harwan, are also facing frequent power outages.

“We are unable to understand who is allowing daylong power cuts throughout the day amid scorching heat. This area has been witnessing daylong power cuts for the past few months now. On Saturday, we had another daylong power cut, and amid scorching heat, people suffered immensely,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a local.

The locals said that authorities should avoid implementing daylong shutdowns given the situation due to heatwave. They further said they were unable to use facilities to have respite from heatwave. They said young students, elderly were facing unbearable temperatures owing to unavailability of electricity.

“This is the worst time to have a daylong power shutdown when we know everyone is surviving under fans, air conditioners, and other gadgets. If the authorities want to have maintenance-related power shutdowns, they should wait until the heatwave is over so that people do not have to face unbearable heat in the absence of electricity,” said another local.

The parents in these areas said that many private and local government schools operate in their areas, and their school-going children have to face unbearable temperatures in the classrooms. They said that given the situation, authorities should do everything possible to avoid daylong power shutdowns.

A senior official from KPDCL said that the power cuts in these areas of Srinagar are related to maintenance work. He said that they are trying their best to minimise the power cuts as much as possible.

“We have to enforce these power shutdowns as we are carrying some major maintenance work in these areas. There might be some more power cuts in coming days, but we will ensure to minimize the duration given the scorching temperatures,” said the official.