Srinagar: With the onslaught of winter, Kashmir Valley is bound to face a serious electricity crisis as according to Power Development Department against the 1400 mega watts (MW) of power required for Valley, PDD is only purchasing 1100 MW’s of electricity.
“There is a wide gap between the demand and supply of electricity. The misuse of electricity has further added to our woes. Besides, due to prevailing situation, the department is unable to stop power pilferage,” Chief Engineer Power Development Department Bashir Ahmed Khan told news agency CNS.
Khan alleged that people have been misusing electricity. “As we are unable to make inspections, some people are taking advantage and indulging in power theft. Most of the areas are reeling under darkness due to rampant use of electronic gadgets like heaters and boilers,” he said.
According to reports most parts of the Valley reel under severe electricity shortage with no indication of improvement in the near future. Chief Engineer said the power distribution system in Kashmir is under tremendous stress due to overload. “We have decided to come up with latest power curtailment schedule. That is under process,” he said. However, he didn’t reveal for how many days in a week, there will be curtailment.
Pertinently, students of class 10 and 12 classes in Kashmir are appearing in annual examinations nowadays. Besides common consumers, they (students) have been bearing the brunt of pesky power cuts.
Reports said that the crisis has hit every section of society while even in metered areas the unscheduled power cuts are adding to the miseries of the common people.
“On Sunday we didn’t see electricity the whole day. At 7pm, bulbs lit for only three minutes and then whole area reeled under darkness,” locals from Mehjoor Nagar Natipora said.
Both in uptown and downtown areas of Srinagar city, people have been facing acute problems due to electricity crisis. “The crisis have not only hit the capital city but it is same everywhere. Hundreds of villages reel under darkness in North, Central and South Kashmir. We used to witness such a situation in Chillai Kalan but this time the crisis have hit the Valley much earlier,” said a group of persons from Shivpora Srinagar adding that power cuts are more frequent and extended during the evening hours.
Reports of sever power crisis were received from Pulwama, Tral, Pampore, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, Kangan, Budgam, Ticker, Sogam, Darpora, Kalaroos, Kralpora, Trehgam Andurgbugh in Lolab Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipora and Rafiabad, Ladoora, Delina, Sangrama, Baramulla,. (CNS)
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