Uri residents rue power cuts, low voltage

Uri, Dec 22: As winter settles in, residents of several villages of Uri area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district have expressed concerns over irregular power supply.

Locals have voiced strong resentment against the power department for failing to provide scheduled power supply during the bone-chilling winter months.

"Unscheduled power cuts have become a regular issue for us. Unfortunately, there seems to be no check from higher authorities to address this issue," said Shafiq Ahmad, a resident of the main town Uri.

"We are facing significant hardships due to frequent power cuts, especially during the night. If the power department cannot ensure an uninterrupted supply, they should not be charging us for electricity," he added.

"We are made to pay complete bills, yet we often receive power for just a few hours. There should be a deduction in the electricity charges if they can't provide reliable service."

Residents have also raised concerns about frequent low voltage."The situation is so bad that we can't even charge our phones properly," said Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Garkote village.

The power cuts have also severely affected local businesses and students."We are often left in darkness, which makes it difficult to study. There is no fixed schedule for electricity, and it feels like a game of hide and seek," said Muneer Ahmad, a student.

"We have three power projects in Uri that supply electricity to areas outside Jammu and Kashmir, yet the people of Uri are deprived of round-the-clock power," the locals added. "We pay bills of up to Rs 1,500 per month, but we only get electricity for 4-5 hours a day."

The affected areas include main town Uri, Garkote, Machikrand, Balkote, Kamalkote, Silikote, Nambla, Charunda, Salamabad, Isham, Gawalta, and others.Residents have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, district administration, and the power department to address the issue.

An official from KPDCL in Uri told Greater Kashmir that they are committed to ensuring smooth services."We also urge consumers to use electricity judiciously to help prevent unscheduled power cuts," he said.

He also appealed to the consumers to avoid usage of crude electric gadgets. "This is causing huge losses to the electricity," he added.