- Metered areas to have 3 hr power cuts, non-metered areas more: Drabu
- ‘T&D losses responsible for power cuts’
Kashmir will continue to face the power crisis this winter, the government said Tuesday.“There are no financial constraints but the issue is Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses,” Minister for Finance, Haseeb Drabu said after reopening of the Kitab Ghar at M A Road in Lal Chowk, here.
Against the demand of 1600 MWs of electricity in Kashmir, Power Development Department is presently supplying only 1200 MWs of electricity.
“With a deficit of 400 MW, we have to ensure power cuts,” Drabu said.
He said 51 percent of Kashmir was metered while the rest fell in the non-metered category.
“The metered areas will continue to have 3-hour power cuts while the non-metered areas will have more power cuts during the winters,” he said.
Drabu said the problem was neither financial nor structural but the T&D losses.
“The government will be spending Rs 3300 crores on improving the T&D losses during next three years to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of power,” he said.
The finance minister urged the people to stop direct hooking from the line and other power thefts and help rationalize the demand and supply of power.
“People need to cultivate self-discipline for overcoming the power cuts,” Drabu said.
Kashmir is days reeling under power crisis with the PDD resorting to frequent and unscheduled power cuts.
According to PDD, metered areas are subjected to 21 hours of weekly power cuts, one hour each for morning, afternoon and evening cut and non-metered areas 56 hour power cuts, three day evening and morning cuts of two hours each, one night cut of 7 hours and day cut of 5 hours.
According to the PDD, it has formed a power curtailment schedule, which it has sent to the Government and is awaiting its approval to make it public.
