Kashmir valley has been witnessing daily unscheduled curtailment of power, much to the chagrin of people as the summer has arrived.
Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) is resorting to daily power cuts in metered as well as non-metered areas. Locals and officials said that the non-metered areas, which are two-third of total customers, face a curtailment of 5-7 hours daily, while the metered areas face two hour power cuts.
“After the major power cuts daily in winter, we are again facing cuts of five to six hours now which is shame for the power department. Over the years, despite tall claims of improvement in power scenario, nothing has changed on ground,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident of old city Srinagar, a non-metered area. This winter, the power consumers of Kashmir valley had faced a double whammy – an increase in tariffs and 31-hour to 56-hour weekly power curtailments. Now when the people had expected relief, the KPDCL again resorted to the curtailment more particularly after continuous rainy and cold weather in May.
“I have a smart meter installed but the power is not what the government had promised. The department had boasted of 24-hours supply but the curtailment is a reality even in summer now. There are so many power projects here which supply power to the entire north India but why is the Valley still in the dark is a million dollar question,” said Sajid Rafiq, a resident of Srinagar’s Bemina locality. The KDPCL officials acknowledge the curtailment but say that people have been using power beyond their agreed loads.
Temperatures in the Valley touch as high as 33 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius during months of June and July, while last few years have seen a significant increase in temperatures and there is sometimes need to even use air-conditioners.
KPDCL chief engineer, distribution, Javed Yousuf Dar said that corporation was supplying power of 1200 megawatts against a daily demand of 1450 megawatts. “In April and May, we supplied 25% more power than the last year and in June, the supply is 15% more than last year,” Dar said.
Another official of KPDCL, wishing anonymity said that the corporation has power availability issues. “We buy power but then the people don’t adhere to agreed loads and use power beyond that,” he said.
He said last year J&K government spent ₹7,000-crore on purchasing electricity from outside power companies. “In return, the government only receives ₹3500-crore in annual power tariff payments from citizens, and businesses. There is a 50 percent gap. People need to understand that it is a commodity for which they need to pay,” the official added.
The J&K government is speeding up the process of installing smart meters and intends to improve the scenario within two years. “Currently, we have 35 percent metered areas and by the end of this year, it will be 50 percent. Within two years, the whole region will be metered and there will be marked improvement as all the illegal loads will end,” the official said.
